Councillors have approved enforcement action to remove an 'unauthorised' fence. The three metre wooden fence was erected by the owner of a house in Trentham Road, Longton in 2022, replacing a lower hedge that previously bordered the property's garden.

As the fence is over a metre in height it required planning permission, but no application was submitted before it was installed. After a complaint was made about it, a retrospective planning application for a smaller 2.3m fence was submitted, but this was subsequently rejected by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Members of the planning committee have now voted in favour of taking enforcement action to have the fence taken down, in line with their officers' recommendation. The report to the committee stated that the fence is considered unacceptable as it is 'overbearing in nature and does not relate well to the prevailing character or context of the area', and that it creates an 'oppressive means of enclosure'.

Ward councillor Lilian Dodd requested for the matter to be considered by the planning committee, citing safeguarding and privacy issues. The committee heard that the owner of the property had erected the fence 'for the safety of his family' and did not realise it needed planning permission.

The fence was erected without planning permission (LDRS).

Officers told the committee that as the breach of planning rules had been established, it was now up to them to decide whether enforcement action would be 'expedient'.

Committee members agreed that the council had to take action as there was a clear breach of planning rules, as not doing so would set a dangerous precedent.

Councillor Ross Irving said: "I think it's pretty clear that we've got a duty to uphold what the regulations stipulate. This is clearly a breach of those regulations, and I think we have a duty to enforce it, because if we don't, people will take that as a free-for-all to put up whatever they wish.

"We have planning conditions for a reason. If we don't take action on this it sends the wrong message out."

The council will now serve the property owner with an enforcement notice calling for the fence to be removed.

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