Homeowner erects 6ft fence around manor house to obstruct neighbour’s ‘ugly 1980s’ home after making his life ‘a misery’

An interior designer has spent £4,000 erecting a 6ft hazel fence around his Grade II listed manor house in Somerset to block out what he describes as the “ugly and depressing” view of his neighbour’s 1980s property.

Marten Street, owner of the 15th-century Chapel Cleeve Manor, installed the fencing after his neighbours at Dancing Gate removed a row of conifer trees that had previously concealed their home from view.

The dispute has escalated into a planning row, with Somerset Council ordering Street to remove the fence after neighbours complained about the installation.

Street, 46, claims his neighbours initially agreed to the fence before later reneging on their accord.

Somerset Council branded the fence an “unneighbourly development” and ordered its removal within three months.

In their verdict, planners stated the fencing “creates an overbearing and domineering impact, restricting outlook and harming the residents’ enjoyment of Dancing Gate.”

Neighbours had objected strongly to the development, with one telling the council: “Being so very close to the property boundary and in line with the windows of principal living room accommodation, the structure is obscuring light.”

Another resident described the construction as “domineering and overbearing,” while a third claimed the fences threatened the “ruination of a lovely couple’s home.”

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Street’s planning agent had argued the fencing would “improve security and recreate a sense of privacy” for the manor.

The 46-year-old claims he faces hostility from villagers who resent his purchase of the £1.3m mansion in 2021.

“I’m surrounded by psychopaths. They were jealous from the moment I arrived here after living in London,” he told MailOnline.

He alleges experiencing homophobic abuse, with villagers shouting slurs at him in the street.

In one serious incident, Street claims a local resident attempted to run him over while he was installing iron gates at the entrance to his drive.

“Luckily I managed to get out of the way in the nick of time. I contacted the police and they are investigating,” he said.

A villager countered: “These people come and buy their dream property and then start throwing their weight about and disturbing the peace of this lovely quiet place.”

Chapel Cleeve Manor, which Street purchased for £1.3m in 2021, boasts 17 bedrooms and is set in seven acres of land between the West Somerset coastline and Exmoor National Park.

The historic property was originally built as a resting place for pilgrims in the 1400s and has hosted notable guests including Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret during society events in the 1960s and 70s.

Street, who has spent £500,000 on restoration work, says he sees himself as the property’s “guardian, not the owner.”

“I want to pass it on to whoever lives here next as something beautiful, restored to what it once was,” he said.

He maintains the fence is temporary until newly planted shrubs and trees mature enough to block the view naturally.