A FAMILY has been left more than £20,000 out of pocket and claim they have faced break-ins after being ordered to tear down a wall thanks to snooty neighbours kicking off about it.
Mohammed Saleem Ahmed, 52, was told by a court to demolish the boundary wall outside his £1.2 million home which had been built to replace a wall that was crumbling away.
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Mr Ahmed, who owns a number of restaurants, was also ordered to pay £1,500 after he breached an enforcement notice from the city council to take down the wall in November of last year.
But his nephew, who lives in the ten bed house, in the Portswood area of Southampton, Hampshire, says the new wall was built to look identical to the old one.
Bilal Ahmed, 28, said: “My family has lived here for 35 years. My grandparents bought the house and I was born and raised here.
“As far as I can remember, this house has always had a wall there. If you look on Google Maps, as far back as you can, there is a wall there.
“There was a cherry tree and the roots were growing into the wall. The tree fell numerous times into the road which we had to repair.
“In early 2018 a tree surgeon diagnosed the tree as diseased and dying and a threat to the public so it was removed immediately.
“Once the tree was removed it was evident to see that the wall was bowed and it was becoming a safety threat.
“Imagine if a kid was running past the wall during Storm Eunice, that kid would die.”
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Bilal said the family instructed bricklayers to repair and restore the wall, but as this was gradually done they realised they could not marry it with the existing side wall, which was the same height.
So he said they decided to completely rebuild the wall in the same spot to the same height and the same design using the closest matching colour bricks and materials.
But they were then told by a planning enforcement officer they would need to apply for retrospective planning permission, which to Bilal’s surprise was rejected.
He explained: “A planning consultant told us none of the changes we made were material changes and we had done everything to make sure it was in keeping with the original house and existing side wall.
“We even replanted the same foliage behind the wall, which is maturing well. And we said we would rough up the wall with cow dung treatment to make it look older.”
We have had three attempted break-ins since the wall has gone and the gate has gone. We have never had a break-in in 35 years
Bilal, resident
He said the family were trying to come to an arrangement with the council but “they kept moving the goalposts”.
They eventually told them the new wall had to be no more than one metre high, even though the previous wall was “at least double” that.
Bilal said he was shocked by the requests to smash down the “lovely wall” adding how neighbours came round asking why they were getting rid of it.
But he acknowledged not all neighbours are so sympathetic and they “don’t like to see people doing stuff to their properties or even keeping them together”.
He slammed: “They would much rather see your property crumbling than see you restore it.
“We have spent at least £20,000 on restoring this wall and now demolishing it and on legal fees and fines.”
Bilal says nothing has been gained from tearing the wall down and “we are out of pocket because we felt we had to do something because the wall was not safe”,
The demolition has also sent their personal security crumbling away, too.
‘NO SECURITY’
He added: “Now we have had three attempted break-ins since the wall has gone and the gate has gone. We have never had a break-in in 35 years.
“I have family members who feel threatened in their own home, especially as the wall has now been demolished. It’s a safety threat to us.”
“It’s ridiculous I think, disgusting.”
The family have now been left “with no security” and the wall “gave individuality to the property”, Bilal added.
Next door neighbours Jane and Norman McLean said they were unhappy with the wall being taken down and had written a letter to the council.
Mrs McLean, an 82 year old retired GP, said: “My husband and I thought it was an attractive wall and we disagree with what’s happening.”
Mr McLean, an 89 year old retired university professor, said: “We think it’s a disgrace. It was a beautiful wall and we think it’s an act of vandalism to take it down.”
But another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We are glad it’s coming down. It wasn’t in keeping with the rest of the street.
“The bricks were like nothing else that was in the house. It was much taller than other walls around here.
“It wasn’t that high before. I would say it is significantly taller.”
Alastair Duke, who lives in a nearby road, wrote to the planning committee: “The wall in the amended application would not be subdued and would stand out uncomfortably on account of its very pronounced patterning.
“It is too high and creates an unsympathetically defensive impression in marked contrast to the frontages of all the other houses in the road which are low enough to allow passers-by to enjoy the sight of their front gardens.”
Anders Berg, who also lives nearby, called the new wall an ‘act of architecture vandalism’ which would ‘erode the special qualities of our Conservation Area’.
The Sun Online have approached Southampton City Council for comment.
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