Homeowner was forced to tear down his giant 9-foot-wide wooden decking boards
A HUGE 9 meter wide wooden decking covering the front garden of a flat will have to be torn away after a council investigation.
Homeowner Leon Yemm has been embroiled in a row over the wooden platform outside his flat in Trevethin, Wales, since 2018.
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His fence is currently seven meters long and nine meters and almost the size of half a tennis court.
Leon decking also comes with additional posts, beams and pergola, all of which need to be removed along with half of the fencing.
The decking will be reduced to 3.8 meters outwards and 9.7 meters wide, which is most of the width of the property.
Four people wrote to Torfaen council supporting Leon's application, with some offering to submit 'written representations' in support of the homeowner.
However, others criticized the decking, with one labeling it an 'ecological eyesore', before adding that it would be 'morally wrong' to apply for planning permission after construction.
“The impact on the character and appearance of the area and neighbors should be taken into consideration, together with any biodiversity improvements,” planning officer Gemma Evans said.
She added that the fencing would appear “excessively prominent” after removing the pergola and reducing its size.
One condition requires a wooden nest box to be installed in the backyard to meet “biodiversity requirements.”
It comes after locals expressed anger after a Russian oligarch was given permission to build a fence they called 'ugly and prison-like'.
Alexander Mosionzhik applied late last year to have a six-foot fence installed around his Buckinghamshire mansion, which cost £2.8 million.
He argued this was for safety reasons and claimed there had been an increase in anti-social behaviour, including vandalism and arson.
But the oligarch was blasted by neighbors who said the fence, which they called the Berlin Wall, would be an eyesore in their upscale village of Marley Bottom.
Elsewhere, devastated homeowners say their gardens were flooded after developers blew up a huge estate next door.
Taylor Wimpey agreed to build a privacy fence around Amanda and Mick Tolhursts' garden as they built houses in Uckfield, East Sussex.
But when builders dug crater-sized trenches around the couple's property, it caused flooding in their garden.
Rules for wooden decking
Even if your planned terrace area is less than 30 cm high, the size of the new outdoor space is also taken into account.
If your decking covers more than 50% of your garden area (including other extensions and outbuildings), you will need to submit a planning application.
“In national parks, the maximum area that can be moved more than 20 meters from your home is limited to 10 m2,” says Allan Jeffrey, Managing Director of Ultra Decking, told Housing.
Why do you need a building permit for decking?
“When you come to sell your house, you will be asked whether you have a building permit for the decking [if required]which can cause complications when selling your property if you haven't done so,” Allan explained.
“Planning permission is important for safety and to ensure your property does not impact the environment or neighboring properties.”
If decking is built without obtaining the guidelines, homeowners can apply for a retroactive building permit.
However, this does not guarantee that it will be approved. If this is refused, the decking will have to be removed.