A fence that has been in place for 28 years was taken down after a landlord was told to remove it as part of a planning condition.
The fence surrounding Britannia car wash, on the corner of New Road and High Street in Chatteris, was removed as part of a pledge by Fenland District Council to protect the character of the town’s conservation area.
Landlord Keith Maynard said he has owned the land for about 30 years and for 28 of those there has been a fence around the corner plot.
Mr Maynard said: “I don’t understand why it was asked to be removed in the first place.
“It has been there since 1986. It is planning gone mad. The trouble is it is now an open area and will probably be used by yobs.
“We have to make good the area by putting in a flower bed with plants. The whole process of taking down and making good will cost about £3,000.”
In 2011 retrospective planning permission was granted for the car wash and as part of that condition he was asked to take down the fence because it was in the conservation area.
A council spokesman said retrospective planning was granted in August 2011 and as part of that there was a condition requiring removal of the fence within a month.
“On January 24 we sent a letter giving them 28 days to remove it. We were keen to avoid enforcement action,” he said.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here