Derby: 'Eyesore' fence criticised by councillors

The fence sits between the housing estate and the A6 in Derby

An "eyesore" fence which was built by a developer without permission has been criticised by councillors.

The 260m (850ft) long fence was built by Persimmon Homes between its Buttercup Leys development in Derby and the A6.

South Derbyshire District Council denied retrospective permission for the barrier at a meeting on Tuesday.

Persimmon Homes said it was "disappointed" with the decision before confirming it would appeal.

The 2.5m (8ft) tall fence and mound - also known as a bund - forms part of the 1,058-home site located off Chellaston Road.

Council officers said the barrier, which aims to block noise and the view of the A6, was part of the initial outline application submitted in 2006.

However, another application needed to be approved before it could be built. This did not happen, council officers said.

Dan Corbin, group leader for the Conservative Group, described the fence as a "disgrace" at the meeting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Graffiti has been sprayed on the fence

"It has been destroyed by tag artists and it has been turned into a complete eyesore," he said.

He said Persimmon had built in excess of 780 homes on the site but had so far not provided a primary school, community centre, or sports and leisure facilities.

A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes North Midlands confirmed the company will be appealing the decision.

"The recent application sought to confirm the finer details of the structure that met the requirements given during the outline planning process," the spokesperson said.

"Our proposal took on board feedback by National Highways which ensured that there would be no adverse impact to the A6, with the proposed structure designed in such a way that it could be looked after by a management company on completion, rather than by the local authority.

"The proposal was also approved by acoustic assessors, and included a landscaping scheme to ensure that the bund and fence would be screened from neighbouring roads.

"Any graffiti will be removed by our site team at the earliest opportunity."

If permission is not granted in the future, Persimmon Homes could be ordered to take the fence down.