Father-of-three who built 6ft fence to keep autistic son safe while playing in his garden ordered to tear it down by council

A father-of-three who built a 6ft fence around his garden to keep his autistic son safe while playing is furious after being ordered to tear it down by the council.

Mian Altaf, 44, spent two and a half years purchasing a strip of land adjacent to his property from Slough Council to give his children somewhere to play.

He eventually paid £15k and the deal was finally put through in July this year but now, much to Mr Altaf’s frustration, he has found himself embroiled in a bitter row with council planners.ght.

Mr Altaf said, despite erecting a fence below the height 6.5ft (2m) height limit the council have ordered for it to be thrown out or shortened.

But the defiant father said he will not back down as he has spent £5,000 building the fence.

He told MailOnline: ‘The council are overstepping and trying to make my life difficult.

‘One of my boys is autistic so I wanted to put the fence up.

‘If we can’t have the fence, then what is the point in having the garden? It is not secure.’

Mr Altaf, who has he spent negotiating the terms of the land with the council, says he will ‘not take down’ the fence

A sign put up outside Mr Altaf’s home inviting public comments regarding the planning application

Mr Altaf, who bought the three-bed, semi-detached property in May 2021, said he made clear his intention to purchase the adjoining land soon after.

He explained: ‘I bought the land for £15,000 from Slough Borough Council and asked to erect a fence and extend the garden.

‘They asked me to keep the fence to one metre which isn’t good as I have small kids. So, I asked for two metres.

‘They said they would speak to the department and then they said it could be two metres at the side and one metre at the corner.

‘The enforcement came after it went up and said that it can’t be two metres. They want me to take it down. I will not take it down.’

He told of how the family have also been subject to burglary on more than one occasion, due to what he believes is a lack of security.

Mian Altaf, 44, has become locked in a row with the council after they ordered him to take down 6ft fencing around a grass verge adjacent to his home

Mr Altaf (pictured, with his wife and daughter) accused Slough Council of ‘trying to make his life difficult’ in the row over the fence

A view of the fenced-off garden from inside. Mr Altaf says the terms of the purchase allow him to build a fence up to 6ft high

The council’s response has left the father-of-three furious, prompting him to appeal the decision and also take advice on suing the council

Mr Altaf said: ‘And people were throwing trash onto the land all the time and I was constantly cleaning up after them.

‘We were also burgled on several occasions before the fence was up.

‘I will not take it down as I’ve already spent nearly £6,000 just putting up the fence. I’ve spent another £4.500 on the garden, cleaning it up and re-laying the grass.

‘Why sell it to me in the first place then?’

Mr Altaf said he had checked with the council several times before erecting the fence, first asking whether he should instead built a brick wall.

He said: ‘Again, before the land was transferred to my name, I asked the council if I can erect a fence.

‘I asked if I should build a brick wall, to be in keeping with the nearby houses, but they said no, it must be a fence or a hedge.’

After the fence was built, Mr Altaf was handed an enforcement action to remove the structure. He then submitted a retrospective planning application which was rejected by the council earlier this month.

He has said he is now appealing the decision as well as taking advice from lawyers to sue the council.

While Mr Altaf insists the fence is less than 6ft high, the council’s planning objection states it is over 9ft.

The 44-year-old says he spent £5,000 building the fence and a further £4,500 fixing the garden. He also says he spent thousands of pounds on solicitor fees in negotiating the purchase of the land

He alleges that he has not had complaints from his neighbours, and says more than 10 of them have told him they have no issues with the fencing

The council’s response to the application reads: ‘The development, by reason of the change of use from the public use to private residential use is detrimental to the amenities of the area and comprises of a harmful addition to the streetscene, poor siting, height and result in loss of informal green space. 

‘The development has an detrimental visual impact within the area and fails to improve the character or appearance of the surroundings.’

Council officers also allege the tall fencing prevents drivers ‘coming from both directions to see what is coming towards them as the fence is on a blind spot’.

Mr Altaf says he has signatures from more than 10 neighbours stating that they take no issue with the fencing. 

Speaking to MailOnline, one neighbour said: ‘I thought he had bought the land with the house; I had no idea he didn’t own it. I used to see children playing there before he built the big fence. It’s not right, they only moved here recently.’

Another said: ‘Nobody knocked on our door to ask about it.

‘It’s created a blind spot for the road as well. Boy racers use this road, and you need to see around the bends.’