Midhurst residents fight to save boundary wall

RESIDENTS in Midhurst are up in arms after developers threatened to knock down a brick wall which forms the boundary of their gardens.
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Oakford Homes was eventually given planning permission for 17 new homes on the corner of Lamberts Lane last year.

One of the conditions was that a 12 foot wall which forms the boundary of Cowdray Court homes next to the development, would be retained.

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Speaking on behalf of concerned residents, Sanchia Elsdon said: “The wall had a roof on it and formed the back of buildings which were part of the old Midhurst Grammar School.

“We agreed with developers that they should take four feet off it because we thought it looked a bit like a prison once the roof was taken off it, and the wall is now eight feet.

“But then the developers said the wall was structurally unsafe and they would be replacing it with a six foot close boarded wooden fence.

“There is a fence like that surrounding the national park buildings and it looks awful.”

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Chairman of the Midhurst Society, Sheila Ryan said: “For the developers to say now that they are going to take it down and replace it with a fence, in the first place is a breach of the planning permission and also irresponsible to inform the public of their intentions and then change their minds when they discover a problem.

“The Midhurst Society entirely supports the objections of the residents.”

A spokesman for Chichester District Council said: “Following residents’ concerns about the wall our enforcement team has been liaising with the developer.

“We understand they are working with their engineers on a solution which will keep the wall as outlined in the planning permission. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep in contact with the developer.”

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