Residents in their 80s are threatening to chain themselves to their 1m fence after being ordered to remove it by the council.
A knee-high fence surrounds a shared garden with 31 flats at the Helgate Court retirement housing complex in Norwich, Norfolk. The properties are mobility and wheelchair accessible and have a Careline alert service.
Julian Philips, 80, erected it to add some character to the space and prevent cars from driving over the flower garden.
While doing this, he carefully dug up the existing ‘mud field’ to sod and plant new flowers, which took two weeks.
Now, however, he and other residents have been left furious after ‘tiny’ housing estate Orbit has given them seven days to knock down the low fence.
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“I would be upset if it was removed because I don’t want people driving into the garden again,” Mr Philips said. The fence is here to protect him.
He added: “Everyone who lives in the flats here has said they are happy with the way the garden looks now and have commented on how much better it is.”
After being warned that the fence is a ‘travel hazard’, he insisted that ‘not one person has complained’ about being on the road.
“I did what I thought was necessary and it was a success.”
Mr Philips revealed details of the letter he received from Orbit, which raised concerns about ‘safety’ and ‘quality of workmanship’ on the fence. He also claimed that the fence “does not meet the required specifications and standards”.
Further criticizing Orbit for her request, fellow resident Pauline Taylor, 86, said she felt ‘really sad’, praising the transformation into a ‘beautiful space’.
Greeting her neighbor JOBS to the fence as ‘brilliant’, she added: ‘The transformation of the garden just makes it feel like home again.
“Orbit really isn’t thinking about our well-being because before Julian created this garden, it looked terrible and was just full of mud.”
She then declared, defiantly: ‘I’m going to chain myself up – that’s what I’m going to do.’
In response to the outrage, a spokesperson for Orbit said: “We fully understand how much customers value their homes and the outdoor spaces around them, and we were really pleased to support customers at Helgate Court recently by providing ground for a garden area, which our team created for them.
“This concern relates to a separate fence and extension in that area, which have been added without the consent of other customers and which reaches into one of the parking spaces.
“Helgate Court has 31 houses and only six parking spaces, so every space counts, and some customers told us they were concerned about the fence when parking, as well as the safety of neighbors who use walking aids or scooters to get around.”
She vowed to ‘find a solution’ in collaboration with angry residents, allowing the existing garden, including turf and flowers, to remain.
And, indeed, while the fence was originally ordered to be removed by July 10, at the time of writing, its removal has been delayed to see if residents will accept a ‘safe alternative for the area’.
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