Sir – On November 2, 2011, West Oxfordshire District Council threatened me with planning enforcement action regarding a single fence panel that I had erected at the front of my property on the basis that it was “unsightly and out of character”.
I subsequently removed the fence panel and replaced it with a small section of hedge.
On December 17, 2012, WODC lowlands area planning sub-committee decided not to enforce a condition 9 of a planning permission relating to highway visibility from the driveway of a new property next to mine, even though it has been clearly acknowledged by the county council that there is a breach of the condition. This results in a significant reduction in highway safety. WODC councillors have, therefore, accepted a lower standard for the visibility splay than was required by the planning condition. I still do not understand why a visibility splay of 45m was required when planning permission was granted but that less than a year later, a visibility splay of nearly half this is thought acceptable.
It seems a rather futile exercise to put a condition on planning permission that they subsequently decide not to enforce. I am unclear whether this is even permitted under planning law.
It, therefore, seems odd to me that WODC threaten enforcement action regarding one fence panel because it is “unsightly and out of character” but take no action when highway safety is severely compromised. This implies that the visual appearance of the street is more important than the safety of the public.
Although I have sought clarification from WODC on this issue, they have not been able to provide any reply.
Paul Knight, Standlake