A family in Chepstow has been ordered to tear down a two-metre high fence in their front garden after losing an appeal against a council enforcement decision. Sophie Daly installed the timber fence last year along St Lawrence Road, citing privacy concerns and the need to protect her children and dog from litter and dangerous items, including needles, found in the hedge.
Monmouthshire County Council refused retrospective planning permission in November, prompting Ms Daly to appeal to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW). In the appeal, she argued that without the fence, her children could not play outside safely and her dog could not be exercised securely within the property.
Independent planning inspector G Hall dismissed the appeal, upholding the council's decision. While acknowledging that medical and educational professionals supported Ms Daly's personal circumstances, the inspector concluded that the fence was visually dominant and incongruous in the street scene, eroding the character of the gateway approach to Chepstow.
The inspector's report stated that there was no substantive evidence to show that the safety and security objectives could not be achieved through less visually intrusive alternative boundary treatments. The inspector added that significant weight was given to personal circumstances, but they did not outweigh the conflict with development plan and national policy.
