New Plymouth woman goes on the fence offensive – Stuff.co.nz

SIMON O'CONNOR/Stuff

Dawn Hickling has built a fence on the same spot as her old picket fence that had been there since 1983, but the council is not happy.

A New Plymouth woman has taken offence at the treatment she's received from the district council over her fence.

Baring Tce resident Dawn Hickling replaced a picket fence that had been front of the home she owns since 1983 with a taller version in May last year.

However, the move resulted in two complaints being laid with the New Plymouth District Council and Hickling was told she needed to move the fence back about one metre as it intruded on to public land.

But she has refused to give in, pointing out that other fences and hedges on the street jut out just as far.

Im not going to be told that Ive done something illegal and Im not going to be held responsible for the 1983 fence that they now say is illegal," Hickling said.

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The council maintains it is about access to public land and its mapping website shows the fence is indeed beyond the propertys boundary.

Hickling received a letter on Saturday, February 6, telling her she had until March 1 to at least have a removal date set.

As far as Im concerned it's still not the final.

On January 26, she spoke to the council's strategy and operations committee but said it was like it never happened. She also offered to pay an encroachment fee.

It's like theyve made this decision and they havent taken anything on board from that meeting, and that really pisses me off.

SIMON O'CONNOR/Stuff

Hickling has been told she has to move the fence about a metre back.

Hickling said she had been told she would face a $1000 fine, plus $50 for every additional day the fence was not moved.

Ive been a law-abiding citizen for 59 years and Im not going to be told Ive done something wrong.

NPDC said it was working through the issue with the property owners and going through due process.

Last month, the day after the meeting, NPDC transport manager Rui Leitao said in a statement that they had been talking with the owner for months to try and find an amicable solution.

At the heart of the matter is retaining public access to public land. When the owner replaced a low picket fence with a high solid fence (encroachment) which made it difficult for pedestrians, pushchairs and mobility scooters to move along the narrow footpath, resulting in us receiving two complaints last year.

Its important to note many encroachments, or intrusions into another space over time, have long and complicated histories and we work hard to find amicable solutions.

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New Plymouth woman goes on the fence offensive - Stuff.co.nz