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A company director has been ordered to tear down his 'illegally built' two foot fence after being reported to the council by his next-door neighbour.
Phil Edwicker, 50, was told to down the knee-high fence at his home in Totton, Hampshire, after his neighbour pointed out it is technically built on public ground.
The metal wire fence has come to be a source of pride for Mr Edwicker who is desperate to keep it, saying that he washes it until it shines 'like you would a car'.
But his neighbour, Tim Goodman, has complained the fence is 'unlawful' after Mr Edwicker successfully applied for permission for a home extension in 2023.
Mr Goodman's complaint has led Hampshire County Council to tell Mr Edwicker his fence - which features LED lights and stainless steel wires - must be removed.
It cuts into the public highway, council officials have said, but Mr Edwicker does not accept that it actually reaches into a public path.
To rally support, Mr Edwicker has written to his MP and called members of the community to his cause - slowly convincing fence sitters.
He put the fence up during the pandemic to replace the old one he had put there in 2002.
He admitted he did not apply for planning permission for the new fence but all his other neighbours were fine with it being there, including his next-door neighbour.
Mr Edwicker, who is the managing director of a lift company, said: 'It's of no risk to anyone, the only person it would affect would be my immediate neighbour, and she has no problem with it.
'As far as I'm concerned, I put the fence up on my land. It was only grass before I put this in.
'Hampshire Highways Authority haven't proved to me it's their land, it's just their word against mine.'
Mr Edwicker said that he had even got the fence signed off by a planning officer from another council - the New Forest District Council - in 2023 when they were taking a look around before approving his extension.
He added: 'I could understand if it was poking out into a path, but it is not even a throughway, there's no cut through, but the council say it's because it's on a path.'
It's more than just the principal to Mr Edwicker as well, who has become attached to the fence he put 'a lot of effort and love' into designing.
He said: 'I put a lot of passion and many hours into designing this fence.
'I've spent so many hours and so much money making this, I wash it like you would a car.'
As a peace offering, he has removed three posts of the fence on a 'temporary basis', halving its size. It will mean he has to spend more money redesigning the fence and rewiring it.
'It's soul-destroying after all the effort I've put into it,' said a defeated Mr Edwick.
In an objection written in 2023, Mr Goodman said he had no problem with an extension being built, but he opposed the fence.
He said: 'I do not object to the proposed building extension, but I do object to the currently unlawful fence. This must be removed.'
Mr Goodman added: 'The resident concerned would better serve himself if he reinstated the Highway verge back to public use, removed a small part of the lawn and slightly extended the block paving.
'He could then still lawfully utilise part of the fence to prevent vehicles damaging his lawn.'
Mr Edwicker said that even some of his neighbours were frustrated with the council's decision on his behalf. Many signed his letter to their Conservative MP Julian Lewis for New Forest East in support.
Hampshire County Council doubled down on its position, saying it is dutybound to ensure public highways are safe and accessible but said it does understand that 'this is a frustrating situation for residents, especially where work has involved time and expense'.
The spokesperson said: 'Following an enquiry from a member of the public, we have contacted residents in Itchin Close after confirming that part of a fence has been built on land that forms part of the public highway.
'We have shared the information used to establish that boundary with the affected residents.
'Keeping the public highway unobstructed is important, as even small changes can affect access and safety for people using the verge or footway.'
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