Depressed nan in tears as neighbour builds huge fence turning home into 'prison'
A 59-year-old grandmother was left in tears after her neighbour put up a huge fence that now blocks her view and makes her feel as if she is living in a "prison".
Sharon and John Boltwood have been living at their home in Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, for 25 years. They said that when their neighbour put up a fence, they were shocked at its height and were left "in complete disbelief".
Sharon said she asked her 43-year-old neighbour if the fence could be lower as it is now blocking the couple's view.
She told Yorkshire Live: "I suffer from depression and I have got no friends and rarely go out apart from shopping trips so not being able to see out of our front window as we used to be able to do affects me deeply. I can't see John's sister Teresa's house across the way anymore.
The neighbour said she decided to erect the fence to protect the safety of her two-year-old son (Robert Sutcliffe/Reach)"John and I are going to Kirklees Council on Tuesday morning to see if there is anything we can do about it and whether she has breached any planning regulations."
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John, a 65-year-old, retired builder, added: "I daren't speak to her because I worry that I would lose my head.
"It's like living in Armley - we can't see anything. It's a shame because we used to be good neighbours and we've never had any problem with her and her mother before. She was very kind and brought us around some chicken that they had cooked, that sort of thing."
The neighbour, who asked not to be named, said she had decided to erect the fence to protect the safety of her two-year-old son who she feared was now old enough to run out onto the road.
She also brushed away tears, saying: "As far I was concerned everything was OK. We are good neighbours to them and the fact that they have complained in this way is really upsetting. We checked with the people who installed it and that it was OK.
John and Sharon Boltwood said they are going to the council today to see if their neighbour breached any planning regulations (Robert Sutcliffe/Reach)"It's strange because in the past they have had horses and chickens at the back which created a problem with rats but we never complained to them about it. We have been really, really good neighbours to them.
"I would just like to add that we had many quotes for the fence, so it wouldn't have been a shock that a fence was getting put up. Both neighbours were told on each side, and neither asked about the height.
"I'm not even angry about what they have done, I am just so upset, we have been so close all these years! We have never had any problems with anything.
"They have a gate on their side of the house that's for our right of way we haven't had access to for 20-plus years That's in our deeds, which is padlocked, and we have never been given a key if there's a fire then we're done for, and if we could get past then their dogs would attack.
"And their fence around the back is higher than ours. No complaint was made by us. When we found this person to put the fence, they look to see which height is acceptable for our area less than two metres according to Kirklees' website, local constraints on the property, planning permission
"So when I said we've been good neighbours and never complained despite everything, it is upsetting that a fence has been put up to keep my child safe."
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