Tynedale pensioner furious to be told to take down £12,000 garden wall

Bear Mason from Greenhead is fighting Northumberland County Council over the authority's decision regarding his garden wall, which the council said must be 'knocked down' if he doesn't lower it.

Mr Mason bought the house in 2017 and wanted to replace an old fence. He claims that he was not aware of any building stipulations preventing him from building the wall.

The old fence in Bear's garden (Image: Bear Mason)

Bear said: "This summer we paid £12,000 on a beautiful new wall between our garden and the military road.

"It is lower than the rickety fence it replaced.

"Northumberland County Council have told us that they are now going to bulldoze it (the 20 metre long wall) down unless we pay to have it lowered by eight inches.

"The wooden fence was 1.8 m high (externally) and was falling to bits, and it was liable to collapse in high winds.

"We built the wall it to a height of 1.2 metres externally for health and safety reasons as internally there is a 2m drop into the garden, onto rocks.

"At 1.2m walkers and drunk people cannot sit on it, and topple over but at 1m high, which is the planning stipulation, the situation is far more perilous.

"Because the wooden fence was much taller than its stone replacement, we had no idea it or the new wall would contravene their regulations.

"We are pensioners. We don’t have £12,000 to rebuild it. Our wall is so much nicer than what was there before and safe. We are mortified.

"Ironic too that we live in what’s called 'Hadrian’s Wall Country'!"

A spokesperson from Northumberland County Council said: "We were made aware that a wall had been built at this property without planning permission. On further inspection it was found to be attached to a listed bridge.

"For that reason it is not acceptable and we have asked that it is removed.

"We have also given the householder the option to reduce it in height to one metre and remove it from the listed bridge."