After a homeowner built a massive 7-foot concrete wall that they claim mimics the Berlin Wall, the residents of one of Britain’s most upscale seaside neighborhoods turned against him.
The massive grey building, according to neighbors in the wealthy Sandbanks enclave, has changed the street landscape and made the neighborhood appear more like “something from the Soviet Union-era” than the lush seaside suburb it previously was.
Outside Ken Lynch’s detached home in Poole, Dorset’s coveted Lilliput neighborhood, a 75-foot-long wall was constructed to replace a wooden slatted fence that the locals claim was much more appropriate for the neighborhood.
The corner site, which was once a charming home with a vibrant front yard and a low brick wall that let onlookers admire its herbaceous borders, has undergone a significant renovation that includes the intimidating barrier.
The bungalow was previously given planning permission to be converted into a two-story house with a sizable rear addition; the property is currently valued at approximately £1 million.
However, because the concrete wall is so big, it needs special planning clearance, therefore Mr. Lynch had to apply to BCP Council after it was already constructed.
Since then, neighbors have voiced concerns that the controversial wall would create a precedent for other houses in the affluent neighborhood and have urged planners to reject the idea.
The 75-foot wall was constructed outside Ken Lynch’s detached home in Poole, Dorset’s coveted Lilliput neighborhood.
The corner site, which was once a charming cottage with a colorful front garden and a short brick wall, has undergone a significant renovation that includes the intimidating barrier (shown).
When Annabel Hobson, a 67-year-old retired accounts clerk from the area, first saw the wall, she was appalled.
According to her, it gives the sense that the owners are barricading themselves in and is too imposing on the street scene.
“I walk my dog past the wall every day, and it looks like the Berlin Wall,” she remarked.
“The path has narrowed and the wall feels like it is leaning on you when you walk past it. It looks like they are trying to barricade themselves in and it is not in keeping with the area.” “There used to be a wooden slatted fence, which was nice on the eye, but they replaced it with an eyesore.””It says in our deeds of covenant that walls must have the look of the area.” “I do hope planners will ask for it to be taken down and permission is not granted, as in the future, other property owners will feel they too can erect walls to barricade themselves in.” “I feel sorry for the people opposite who come out of their house and that is the first thing they see.”
The wall, according to a different neighbor who wished to remain anonymous, was “horrible” to look at and a downgrade on the original wooden fence.
According to Richard Spragg, the wall’s height gives it a “visually intrusive and overly dominant in the street and creates an enclosed and oppressive appearance.”
A request for comment has been sent to Mr. Lynch.
