I'm furious after my local council installed a £27k fence outside my home... it's like looking out on a PRISON
- Kathy Steward, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, complained to local town council
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A woman is furious after her local council installed a £27,000 'prison' fence outside of her house.
Kathy Steward from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk was stunned to discover the fence was erected even though she had not been consulted.
Bury St Edmunds Council admitted locals had not been notified but said it would apply for retrospective planning permission for the fence.
Despite Kathy's complaints, council chiefs said the fence was vital to stop wild muntjac deer munching on locals' crops in the allotment next to her house.
The homeowner said the fence has ruined the views from her window and made her feel like she is living in a jail.
Kathy Steward from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk was stunned to discover a fence was erected around her home even though she had not been consulted
She said: 'It's like looking out on a prison. There was no prior consultation whatsoever with any of the residents.
'I'm hoping that when it goes to planning, the prison directly in front of us will come down. They have imprisoned me...but the muntjac can walk through the gate.'
While expressing sympathy for any allotment holders who had lost their crops, Kathy's husband, Dave Steward, said that the couple now had a 'prison-like view' from their house.
Mr Steward told Suffolk News: 'I have a great deal of sympathy for allotment holders who have lost crops to these invasive, alien animals.
'I challenge any planning officer, councillor or allotment holder to publicly state with any degree of honesty that they would like to have this type of industrial fencing erected in such close proximity to their own dwelling and giving a prison-like view from their windows.'
But not all locals are against the fence going up.
One resident who supported it was Steve Ohlsen, who has rented an allotment plot in Cotton Lane for over 15 years.
Mr Ohlsen said: 'When you walk down here everyone is having to put up fencing all the way around the plots to keep this alien species out because they're just destroying crops and forcing people to put up and spend money on defences.
Despite Kathy's complaints, council chiefs said the fence was vital to stop wild muntjac deer (pictured) munching on locals' crops in the allotment next to her house
The 'cage-like' fence to help keep muntjac deer out of an allotment has divided residents after it was put up without notice
The fencing around the Cotton Lane allotment site in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
'It's very disheartening when you try to grow things. There's mice, pigeons and rats – that's part of allotment life, but not these beasts. There's thousands of pounds of damage and people have given up.'
However, the way in which the defence has been built has angered Ms Steward, who complained that her house had been 'fenced in'.
She fumed: 'It's like looking out on a prison. There was no prior consultation whatsoever with any of the residents.'
'I'm hoping that when it goes to planning, the prison directly in front of us will come down. They have imprisoned me...but the muntjac can walk through the gate.'
Ms Budd said: 'We hold our hands up and residents should have been consulted and that was our error and we are going to apply for planning permission for the new bit of fence where the brick wall is outside her property.
'We have got to take that to planning which we didn't realise. And with regards to the gate, once the fencing has been completed all the Cotton Lane allotment holders will be told not to leave the gate open.'
She added: 'We have spent all this money on getting the fence done and if they leave the gate open it's pointless.'
While Kathy was quick to vent her anger over the incident, other residents voiced their support for the fencing to be built.
Homeowner Kathy Steward has said the fence has ruined the views from her window and made her feel like she is living in a jail
Pre-fencing the Cotton Lane allotment site in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Allotment holder Rebecca Moore said: 'I had become very despondent about the damage the muntjac were doing to my allotment and everyone else's around.
'You work hard to end up with nothing because they have beaten you too it. I was considering giving up my plot. I am really pleased and have already noticed a difference since the fence went up.'
Local resident Ray Bugg added: 'My wife and l have had allotments at Cotton Lane for more than 10 years and fully support the deer-proof fence to enable the population of muntjac to be controlled.
'Though the majority are coming in from the water meadows, the fence needs to completely surround the site as they will find any weak point in the barrier.'
Jane Cappleman said: 'The muntjac have been a great pest over the years and we are sure the fencing will make a huge difference.
'Aesthetically the fine green mesh fence creates very little impact visually and can only contribute to the security of the residents in Cotton Lane.'
While expressing sympathy for any allotment holders who had lost their crops, Kathy's husband, Dave Steward, said that the couple now had a 'prison-like view' from their house.
Mr Steward said: 'I have a great deal of sympathy for allotment holders who have lost crops to these invasive, alien animals.
Bury St Edmunds Town Council said it would be willing to replace plants to act as a screen to nullify the impact of the fence
'I challenge any planning officer, councillor or allotment holder to publicly state with any degree of honesty that they would like to have this type of industrial fencing erected in such close proximity to their own dwelling and giving a prison-like view from their windows.'
Bury St Edmunds Town Council said it would be willing to replace plants to act as a screen to nullify the impact of the fence.
Town clerk Jodie Budd said: 'We hold our hands up and residents should have been consulted and that was our error and we are going to apply for planning permission for the new bit of fence where the brick wall is outside her property.
'We have got to take that to planning which we didn't realise. And with regards to the gate, once the fencing has been completed all the Cotton Lane allotment holders will be told not to leave the gate open.'
She added: 'We have spent all this money on getting the fence done and if they leave the gate open it's pointless.'
