Residents object to wire fencing

Residents of an exclusive residential complex in Sleaford are accusing the estate management company responsible for the site of attempting to spoil shared heritage garden space by bordering it with ugly chicken wire fencing.
Residents of The Pines, Sleaford, are unhappy that the land owner has put up a chicken wire fence around the communual garden lawn. EMN-211201-131848001Residents of The Pines, Sleaford, are unhappy that the land owner has put up a chicken wire fence around the communual garden lawn. EMN-211201-131848001
Residents of The Pines, Sleaford, are unhappy that the land owner has put up a chicken wire fence around the communual garden lawn. EMN-211201-131848001

The Pines, off Boston Road, is a row of Grade 2 listed heritage properties created from former buildings of Charles Sharpe Seeds. The historic properties overlook shared gardens created by the once renowned company, forming part of the conservation area.

Dean Baker of Westmoor Estates manages the site, developed over 20 years ago. He has applied for retrospective planning permission from North Kesteven District Council to erect a 1.2 metre high chicken wire fence to protect a hedge as it grows to form a boundary around the lawned garden. He says the fence would remain for no more than two years under advice of council officers to let the privet hedge establish and be maintained at 1.5 metres high.

However, at least seven households at The Pines are objecting, saying the lawn has been neglected and the fence and rocks placed along the edge of the garden are more suited to a farmyard. They also claim that Mr Baker is trying to again relocate a wheelie bin store from its present, secluded position behind trees, to closer to the main gates where NKDC previously ruled it would affect the character of the property and be unpleasant for those living closest.

The listed summer house. Residents of The Pines, Sleaford are unhappy that the land owner has put up a chicken wire fence around the communual garden lawn. EMN-211201-131859001The listed summer house. Residents of The Pines, Sleaford are unhappy that the land owner has put up a chicken wire fence around the communual garden lawn. EMN-211201-131859001
The listed summer house. Residents of The Pines, Sleaford are unhappy that the land owner has put up a chicken wire fence around the communual garden lawn. EMN-211201-131859001

Long time resident Rob Davis and others pointed to NKDC’s previous judgement three years ago when fencing was allowed across the bottom of the garden, saying: “Any further attempts to dissect the large lawn area to the front of The Pines properties should be discouraged as it would detract from the special historic character of the group of buildings and their setting”.

Mr Davis said: “The fence is also an unnecessary addition given that a hedge and several large stones on the edge of the lawn are already in place.

He claimed: “In recent years, the applicant has attempted to frustrate residents’ access to the land with the erection of ‘private property’ signage, a previously erected fence for which he also did not obtain planning permission, plus the rocks and a hedge which remain in place. The applicant has done nothing meaningful to ensure the maintenance of the grounds since I moved in.”

He claimed residents have previously maintained the lawn and the wire fence impedes access to it for this purpose as well as recreation, leading to the grounds becoming neglected. NKDC is yet to decide upon the matter.