A family in Chepstow has been instructed to dismantle a wooden fence in their front garden after their request to keep it was turned down. The fence, which stood at 1.98m at its highest point, was constructed earlier this year to separate their property from a busy road.
Sophie Daly had applied for permission to retain the fence, which exceeded the height of a standard “dwarf wall,” along with a garden gate, citing safety reasons for her child and their large dog. She argued that the fence offered better protection against noise and pollution from the nearby A48 road compared to the previous hedge it replaced.
Despite receiving support from a neighboring resident who praised the fence as “modern yet tasteful,” the Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department rejected Daly’s application. The council deemed the fence and gate unsuitable for the prominent location of the house, causing visual disruption and affecting the area’s open character.
Councilor Paul Pavia defended the fence as providing necessary protection from the busy road, but Councilor Rachel Buckler expressed concerns about its impact on the area’s aesthetics, favoring the previous hedge. Independent Councilor Emma Bryn also voiced worries about the potential negative environmental effects of approving the fence.
Furthermore, the planning committee highlighted the lack of appropriate ecological measures to compensate for the removed hedge in Daly’s application. Her proposal to install a bird box and a “bug hotel” in the front garden was deemed insufficient, leading to the rejection of the application.
