My neighbour suddenly built a 6ft wooden fence blocking my view… I’m fuming after being told I should make a change
A GRANDMOTHER was left fuming after her neighbour suddenly built a 6ft wooden fence blocking her view before telling her to make a change.
Sharon Boltwood, 59, who lives in Huddersfield, was shocked when her next door neighbour had the solid pine fence erected last Friday.
But when she complained, she claims her neighbour told her to hack down the Japanese Maple in her front lawn if she wanted to see beyond her garden.
Sharon, who lives in the semi-detached house with her husband John, 65, and eight-year-old dog Puppy, was aware her neighbour was going to put up a fence, but never expected it to be so high.
And she claims that the massive fence will prevent her from seeing her grand-kids playing outside.
Now, the Boltwoods are contacting Kirklees Council to check whether the fence height is legal and are to ask their neighbour to saw off the top two feet.
Gran-of-five Sharon claims: “We’ve been to the council to see how big her fence should be, but the man who deals with these kind off things is off work for a few days.
“We have not fallen out, we have lived next door to each other for years, but the fence is too high.
“She’s told me to cut my tree down in the front garden so that I can see better. They have already bust a branch off putting the fence up. I’m not going to cut my tree down.”
All the other properties on Gilbert Grove have 3ft high metal fences, which can easily be seen over and through.
But the large wooden fence dominates the top end of the street.
John is waiting to get a mobility scooter, but the fence is now stopping the Boltwood’s access gate from fully opening, reducing the chance of the scooter getting through.
Sharon continued: “He won’t be able to get in if the fence stays like that.
“Also, when my grand-kids visit I won’t be able to see them playing out in the street because of the fence.
“The men who were putting up the fence told me that they didn’t need planning permission for it. But it is in a front garden and is blocking the view and the light to my house.”
The grandmother claims: “It has cost her £2,000 to buy and install. I don’t want it knocked down, I just want the top couple of feet removing and for us to be able to use the gate properly.”
The neighbour, who does not want to be named, was not available to comment.
However, she previously said she was not aware the fence would be such a problem.
She said: “As far I was concerned everything was OK.
“We are good neighbours to them and the fact that they have complained in this way is really upsetting. We checked with the people who installed it and that it was OK.”
“We had many quotes for the fence, so it wouldn’t have been a shock that a fence was getting put up. Both neighbours were told on each side, and neither asked about the height.”
The neighbour claims she has followed all rules – and that her fence is the correct height.
She explained: “Their fence around the back is higher than ours. No complaint was made by us.
“When we found this person to put the fence, they look to see which height is acceptable for our area less than two metres according to Kirklees’ website, local constraints on the property, planning permission
“So when I said we’ve been good neighbours and never complained despite everything, it is upsetting that a fence has been put up to keep my child safe.”