A Perth pensioner fears he may lose his privacy after the council ordered Barratt Homes to remove fencing.
John Burgess, 70, says the structure was erected not long after he and his wife moved into the new-build on Speckle Park Road, Huntingtower, to help maintain the garden’s privacy.
However, three years later, the council says the fence is against planning rules and must be replaced with a hedge.
Perth and Kinross Council also wants a small fence in his garden to be replaced with hedging, which John fears will allow walkers on an adjacent footpath easy access to his front garden.
John, who spent 22 years in the Royal Air Force, told The Courier: “When we moved in, the front of the house was open plan, with just a front hedge.
“But within a few weeks, we found dog walkers were letting their dogs walk over the lawn and people were walking across it.
“We asked Barratt to help us and they built the fence.
“As they constructed the path, they said they would also build privacy fencing, which is what they did.”
John spent at least £15,000 designing his garden with the assurance of having privacy fences around it.
Perth man says council demand will scupper his privacy
He feels people will be able to see right into his property if the fences are removed.
John, originally from Doncaster added: “The council told me they’re coming down and it’s in breach of planning.
“We don’t know what hedging this will be, it’s got to look right and they’re talking 1.5m tall.
“It’s a disregard to the residents to do this, the footfall on the path is high – it’s a great path, but we don’t want people looking into the property.
“People will be able to see us eat our dinner and our patio – why has it taken three years for the council to act on this?
“Had the hedges been there in the first place, we’d have designed the garden differently.
“We’re going to end up with dog mess in our front lawn – and people walking through it too.”
A Perth and Kinross spokesperson said: “The fence does not have planning permission and sits on land that is to be adopted by Perth and Kinross Council.
“As such, we are working with the developer to resolve the breach of planning control in line with our planning enforcement charter (May 2024).
“We understand the resident’s concerns and the privacy and amenity of all occupiers will be taken into consideration as part of our discussions.”
Barratt Homes in ‘discussions’ over privacy fence
Scott Pettitt, technical director at Barratt, and David Wilson of Homes North Scotland, said in a joint statement: “We were approached by the council who had concerns about a fence at one of our properties.
“They advised it was not in line with planning approval and therefore should be removed.
“The fence, which sits between a public footpath and two properties, had been fitted to provide the residents at either side with privacy and security and had been established for a considerable period before the council approached Barratt Homes.
“The council have asked for the fence to be removed and a hedge to instead be installed.
“However, we’re aware that this is causing the resident concern with regards to the levels of privacy at their home.
“We’re continuing discussions with all parties to resolve the issue and come to an agreement.”
Conversation