Neighbours left furious as Russian tycoon wins battle to build ‘Berlin Wall’ around his property
Neighbours have hit back at a council after a Russian tycoon won a planning war to build a 6ft “Berlin Wall” fence.
Alexander Mosionzhik’s plans to build a six-foot metal fence around his £2.9million country estate have been approved by Buckinghamshire council.
An application said the “metal palisade security fence and gates” would be built along the estate’s “entire site boundary.”
Planning chiefs approved Mr Mosionzhik’s application last week after he claimed it was to protect his country pile, called Wymers Estate, from anti-social behaviour.
Some residents have hit back at the council, saying it will have a negative impact on the village and local environment.
Villager Julie Sparks said: “All the locals walk up there. It literally feels like being in the middle of nowhere. You are just lost in the countryside. That particular area I used to call the ‘secret fields’ because you had to go through the hedgerows and the trees to get to it.”
Local resident In nearby Marlow Bottom, David Lawrence said it was not surprising for the plan to be approved.
He said: “He is an oligarch, so what do you expect. Let’s face facts. It is a matter of time…there is no vandalism, nobody vandalises around here. It is just because it is an old house.”
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Chairman of Save Marlow’s Green Belt Richard Sherwin said: “This is a 30-acres fence in the green belt.It is not a small fence around someone’s garden.
‘A two-metre high fence like this over 30 acres is going to have a significant effect on the wildlife. This area is the Green Belt.
“It is teeming with fantastic wildlife that roams free through this estate and has done for many years. A two-metre high fence stops wildlife getting through. It is similar to what you would see around a tennis court.”
Marlow Bottom resident Robert Browning, who lived in the village for more than 35 years before retiring to Somerset, compared the fence to the construction of a “Berlin Wall in our village”.
Another resident, who did not wish to be named, added: “In some ways, it is a good thing because he is hopefully repairing it, but he could have just used a smaller bit of the land at the back.”
A representative of Alexander Mosionzhik said he “regretted the controversy” surround his plans to renew a ‘dilapidated fence’.
They said: “Whilst it is clear this has upset some people, we have spoken with a number of local people who support our plans to restore and properly maintain the property and land. We are pleased that Buckinghamshire Council has now granted approval for the application.
“This land has no public access or rights of way, and the permitted fence will not obstruct any publicly accessible areas or rights of way. The fence style, approved in collaboration with the council, will be similar to others found locally and entirely appropriate for a rural setting.
“It’s worth also noting that planning enforcement officers have conducted multiple visits, prompted by reports from individuals in the area, finding no violations or irregularities at the property.”
Service director for planning and evironment at Buckinghamshire Council Steve Bambrick said the council was satisfied that, provided the development was carried out ‘strictly in accordance with the details’ shown in the plans, the fence would be lawful.
Mosionzhik made his millions in business and was formerly chairman of the board of directors at Nafta Moskva, a Russian oil trading company.
The tycoon submitted the plans in November but had been originally forced to scale them back after 26 objections from angry locals.
He had proposed to build a six-foot metal palisade security fence but had instead opted for a chain-link fence to appease the villagers, planning documents show.