In our pursuit of domestic privacy and security, it stands to reason that the construction of a fence around our home or place of residence would be an entirely worthwhile pursuit. That being said, this simple act carries ramifications that are entirely unique to its design, namely the consequences incurred when erecting a fence that is simply too high.
Such is the case with Alison and Jim Ranson, a Gloucester couple who recently were ordered to remove the fence they had erected around their property due to the fact that it violated the height standards enforced by the Gloucester City Council. According to city code, fences cannot exceed two metres in height.
Alison and Jim's motivations for the construction of their fence, which has now been removed and replaced, were quite pragmatic. According to Alison, “We put it up because we have a cat and dog and this would stop them from getting out onto the road...It was also security for us.”
Fortunately, the council has remained quite lenient with the couple, primarily due to the fact that this particular mistake was, for all intents and purposes, quite harmless. The couple was given two weeks to remove the fencing before a violation would be fully enforced.
Alison and Jim's story is not unique in this area. According to statistics released by the Gloucester City Council, more than 160 domestic code violations have been investigated in the first three months of 2014. Although this could be due to a variety of reasons, the simple fact remains that many individuals simply do not take the time to thoroughly read the stated code before beginning construction on their property.
Although “all is well that ends well”, Alison remains somewhat irate over this recent controversy, primarily due to the fact that the expenses associated with removing the fence are turning what should have been a simple home project into a costly endeavour. “The rules seem ridiculous. It cost us £2,000 to put the fence up, we then had to pay for the workmen to cut the fence and put it back up. We then paid £1,000 to have the trees planted.”