A homeowner in the affluent Dorset seaside area of Sandbanks has infuriated neighbours after replacing a boundary fence with a towering 7ft concrete wall, which locals have likened to the Berlin Wall.
Ken Lynch erected the 75ft-long grey structure along the side of his detached home on Sandbanks Road in Lilliput, Poole. The wall, which requires planning permission, has been branded an eyesore by residents who say it is out of keeping with the exclusive neighbourhood, where average house prices start at £700,000.
The wall replaces a temporary wooden slatted fence that was put up after the previous owner converted a bungalow into a two-storey house. The property is now valued at £1m. Mr Lynch has applied for retrospective planning permission for the wall, but neighbours have submitted objections to BCP Council urging rejection, which could force him to tear it down.
Local resident Annabel Hobson, 67, said: 'I walk my dog past the wall every day and it looks like the Berlin Wall. There used to be a wooden slatted fence, which was nice on the eye, but they have replaced it with an eyesore.' Another neighbour described the wall as 'horrible' and 'visually intrusive'.
The council will decide on the retrospective application, with objectors hoping the wall will be removed to preserve the character of the area.
