Latest news with #WestDevonBoroughCouncil
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Town at war over 'Berlin Wall MK2' built to block access to a walking route after Google Maps blunder... as furious local knocks it down with a JCB
A mysterious local has took matters into their own hands to tear down a town's controversial wall, dubbed 'The Berlin Wall Mk 2', with a rented JCB. The concrete blocks on Kellands Lane in Okehampton, Devon, had been put up to block a popular walking route which families used to get to school. It was built between two housing estates which developers said was private land, warning those who passed through were 'trespassing'. A local erected the wall after Google Maps blunder had begun directing pedestrians to pass through the road as a walking route. The wall became unpopular with locals and graffiti had appeared on it, calling it 'The Berlin Wall Mk 2'. Officials at West Devon Borough Council issued a 'Temporary Stop Notice' on April 17 to prevent further works from happening. An Enforcement Notice was then made on April 25 officials were set to tear the wall down if it was not removed by May 27. However the wall was destroyed prematurely, when an unknown local rented a JCB to breach the structure. Locals rejoiced at its removal, with the path now open again for pedestrians to pass through. Dana Green, 40, said: 'Nobody knew why it was put up. I moved here seven years ago and there was a hedge which died. 'Then they put up this huge wall and the kids have been crawling underneath the gaps. It's really dangerous.' Roy Hopkinson lives right next to the hated wall. 'It's been mental', he concedes, 'I don't know why they've put it there. 'It does look like the Berlin Wall, It made the neighbourhood a lot quieter, people were joking that there would soon be watchtowers installed. 'Everyone was grateful to the person that knocked it down.' One local posted on Facebook when the wall went up: ''I thought Trump was only building walls in America!' 'My husband can't get through it as he uses a mobility scooter' said Verity Warren, 'I can't believe they just whacked it up. It used to be a load of dirt but then they made a new path when the school was opened. Residents rejoiced, saying they were 'grateful to the person that knocked it down' 'Nothing happens for ages and then there's a bloody great wall built. 'Why didn't they just put some bollards down!' Keith Monnax told MailOnline he had originally made the path through the mud. He said: 'I saw them putting the wall up and thought it was a bit harsh. But then they came and knocked it down anyway. 'What happens now? It's petty and all about land, but nobody knows where it will go from here.' Councillor Caroline Mott, Lead Member for Planning and the Built Environment at West Devon Borough Council, told Devon Live: 'The Council has taken action to have the structure removed and hope the inconvenience to the community will be resolved as a matter of urgency.' Councillor George Dexter said the problem is the land is located on a 'ransom strip' from a nearby stretch of privately owned land. Therefore any use of the road as a thoroughfare is technically trespassing. He explained: 'There used to be a hedge here, but families would just walk around it and in the intervening years the estates have sprung up around it. 'A few weeks ago this wall suddenly appeared and everyone was confused. It cuts off everybody here. 'Last week a resident took things into his own hands and soon after the council issued an enforcement notice.' A spokesman for Leander Developments said: 'The land in question is under private ownership, and there is no public right of way across this land - this isn't a question of inconvenience to the public, as anyone who crosses this land is committing trespass. 'To date, we have received a stop notice, but not an enforcement notice. 'The recently erected temporary structure, on our land, was done for public safety and insurance purposes as Google Maps has started to show a right of way across this private land. 'Our insurance requires us to take reasonable steps to prevent trespass, and Google now showing this as a right of way could invalidate our insurance, unless we can demonstrate that we have taken positive steps to prevent illegal entry onto our land. 'On Thursday 17th April, a member of the public, with a digger, caused criminal damage by driving through this temporary structure. This has been filed with the police who have raised a crime number. 'We would recommend members of the public stay away from this structure as we cannot guarantee its integrity following this attack, and the stop notice served by the Council prevents us from undertaking any remedial work. 'To safeguard our insurance, we considered it our right under permitted developments to erect a temporary structure, and it is disappointing that Council is taking measures which allow trespassing to continue, despite making them aware that this was for insurance purposes. 'On 6th January 2023 (nearly two and a half years ago) we had a meeting, on site, with two Directors of the Council, the local member, and the then Leader of the Council to discuss a long-term solution to complete the Kellands Lane connection. 'After the meeting, no further action was taken by West Devon Borough Council. We remain willing to work towards a long-term solution to complete the road connection, but West Devon Borough Council do need to engage with us to enable this to happen.'
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The Great Wall of Devon! Inside landowner's battle with neighbours and council after building six foot concrete barrier to block locals
Frustrated parents and locals living next to an eyesore 2-meter concrete barrier have likened it to 'The Berlin Wall' and expressed delight that it was knocked down by a mysterious have-a-go hero in a rented JCB. The structure, which was hastily and mysteriously erected over the Easter holidays, completely cut off a walking route used by residents to get their children to St James Primary School in Oklehampton, Devon. West Devon Borough Council have now issued an enforcement notice ordering Leander Developments to remove the unauthorised structure dubbed by locals as the 'Berlin Wall' between the two housing estates in Kellands Lane. However, residents fear that should the decision be appealed, the wall could be built again prompting mad speculation as to the intentions of the landowners. When MailOnline visited the estate this week half of the wall had been demolished, with blocks lying scattered on the ground. Councillor George Dexter revealed that the problem with the thin stretch of land is that it is located on a ransom strip from a nearby stretch of privately owned land. Therefore any use of the road as a thoroughfare is technically trespassing. He explained: 'There used to be a hedge here, but families would just walk around it and in the intervening years the estates have sprung up around it. 'A few weeks ago this wall suddenly appeared and everyone was confused. It cuts off everybody here. 'Last week a resident took things into his own hands and soon after the council issued an enforcement notice.' An enforcement notice is used when development is carried out without the necessary planning permission. The notice tells the person receiving it what they have done wrong, what must be done to put it right and the timescale within which that must be done. There is a right of appeal against enforcement notices and locals fear this could be enacted. George continued: 'It's a big deal for these people. Why have they done it? Locals think its down to proposed developments in the field next door to it. 'They think the developers are using their ownership of the ransom strip to get a better deal with their application.' Naturally, the community has been staunchly against the new wall. 'Nobody knew why it was put up', says Dana Green, 40, 'I moved here seven years ago and there was a hedge which died. 'Then they put up this huge wall and the kids have been crawling underneath the gaps. 'It's really dangerous.' Roy Hopkinson lives right next to the hated wall. 'It's been mental', he concedes, 'I don't know why they've put it there. 'It does look like the Berlin Wall, It made the neighbourhood a lot quieter, people were joking that there would soon be watchtowers installed. 'Everyone was grateful to the person that knocked it down.' 'My husband can't get through it as she uses a mobility scooter' said Verity Warren, 'I can't believe they just whacked it up. It used to be a load of dirt but then they made a new path when the school was opened. 'Nothing happens for ages and then there's a bloody great wall built. 'Why didn't they just put some bollards down!' Keith Monnax told MailOnline he had originally made the path through the mud. He said: 'I saw them putting the wall up and thought it was a bit harsh. But then they came and knocked it down anyway. 'What happens now? It's petty and all about land, but nobody knows where it will go from here.' A spokesman for Leander Developments said: 'The land in question is under private ownership, and there is no public right of way across this land - this isn't a question of inconvenience to the public, as anyone who crosses this land is committing trespass. 'To date, we have received a stop notice, but not an enforcement notice. 'The recently erected temporary structure, on our land, was done for public safety and insurance purposes as Google Maps has started to show a right of way across this private land. 'Our insurance requires us to take reasonable steps to prevent trespass, and Google now showing this as a right of way could invalidate our insurance, unless we can demonstrate that we have taken positive steps to prevent illegal entry onto our land. 'On Thursday 17th April, a member of the public, with a digger, caused criminal damage by driving through this temporary structure. This has been filed with the police who have raised a crime number. 'We would recommend members of the public stay away from this structure as we cannot guarantee its integrity following this attack, and the stop notice served by the Council prevents us from undertaking any remedial work. 'To safeguard our insurance, we considered it our right under permitted developments to erect a temporary structure, and it is disappointing that Council is taking measures which allow trespassing to continue, despite making them aware that this was for insurance purposes. 'On 6th January 2023 (nearly two and a half years ago) we had a meeting, on site, with two Directors of the Council, the local member, and the then Leader of the Council to discuss a long-term solution to complete the Kellands Lane connection. 'After the meeting, no further action was taken by West Devon Borough Council. We remain willing to work towards a long-term solution to complete the road connection, but West Devon Borough Council do need to engage with us to enable this to happen.'
Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
'Berlin Wall 2' must be demolished after being built in middle of housing estate
An eyesore concrete wall, labelled ' The Berlin Wall ' by disgruntled locals, has landed the landowner in hot water after it blocked a popular walking path used by parents on the school run. West Devon Borough Council has clamped down with an Enforcement Notice demanding the removal of the intrusive 'Berlin Wall' that's sprung up between two housing estates on Kellands Lane in Okehampton, Devon. It blocked the path parents use to drop and collect their children at St James Primary School in the town. The council slapped a 'Temporary Stop Notice' on April 17 to halt further construction and followed through with an Enforcement Notice on April 25, which will come into force on May 27. Enforcement notices are issued when someone carries out work without the required planning permission. They explain the violation, state how to fix it and give a deadline for the job. An enforcement notice is used when development is carried out without the necessary planning permission, reports Devon Live. The notice tells the person receiving it what they have done wrong, what must be done to put it right and the timescale within which that must be done. There is a right of appeal against enforcement notices. Councillor Caroline Mott, lead member for planning and the built environment at West Devon Borough Council, said: "The Council has taken action to have the structure removed and hope the inconvenience to the community will be resolved as a matter of urgency."
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council launches plan to ease housing shortages
A Devon council has agreed an annual housing action plan that aims address housing shortages and increased demand for temporary accommodation. The plan, agreed at West Devon Borough Council's hub committee on 11 March, identified a number of projects to help increase the housing stock. The council said it was already working towards a number of recommendations outlined in the Devon Housing Commission report published in July 2024. Councillors also agreed to charge council tax premiums on second homes. The authority said projects which have been identified as part of the action plan include: Three new flats on Plymouth Road in Tavistock to be used as temporary accommodation for homeless households The purchase of eight homes through the Local Authority Housing Fund, with plans for a further three, attracting 40% in government grants for match funding Sixteen new energy efficient lower cost homes in Lifton, delivered by Plymouth Community Homes, with 10 offered for social rent and six through shared ownership Expansion of Pilchers Field in Crapstone, providing five new assisted supported living homes It said they would be delivered through the council's housing and homelessness strategies. From 1 April, councils will be able to charge up to two times the normal council tax on second homes. Agreeing to the scheme, councillors said the money it raises would be set aside to improve housing in the borough. Councillor Mark Renders, hub member for Housing at West Devon Borough Council, said: "We are proud of the work we are doing to help tackle the housing crisis and we remain committed to supporting our residents with their housing needs." Homes bought to ease affordable housing crisis Plans to build 220 homes in North Devon approved Retirement homes to go ahead on old council site West Devon Borough Council
BBC News
16-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
West Devon Borough Council launches plan to ease housing crisis
A Devon council has agreed an annual housing action plan that aims address housing shortages and increased demand for temporary plan, agreed at West Devon Borough Council's hub committee on 11 March, identified a number of projects to help increase the housing council said it was already working towards a number of recommendations outlined in the Devon Housing Commission report published in July 2024. Councillors also agreed to charge council tax premiums on second homes. The authority said projects which have been identified as part of the action plan include:Three new flats on Plymouth Road in Tavistock to be used as temporary accommodation for homeless householdsThe purchase of eight homes through the Local Authority Housing Fund, with plans for a further three, attracting 40% in government grants for match fundingSixteen new energy efficient lower cost homes in Lifton, delivered by Plymouth Community Homes, with 10 offered for social rent and six through shared ownership Expansion of Pilchers Field in Crapstone, providing five new assisted supported living homesIt said they would be delivered through the council's housing and homelessness strategies. 'Housing crisis' From 1 April, councils will be able to charge up to two times the normal council tax on second to the scheme, councillors said the money it raises would be set aside to improve housing in the borough. Councillor Mark Renders, hub member for Housing at West Devon Borough Council, said: "We are proud of the work we are doing to help tackle the housing crisis and we remain committed to supporting our residents with their housing needs."
