A SEVERAL-YEAR long battle over a bid to replace a grassy bank and hedge with a retaining wall and fence in Manningford Abbots will now be decided by a government inspector.

Concerned about safety and security issues, and feeling his home was open to passers-by, villager Larry Baldry, 69, wanted to replace the grassed bank and hedgerow at the bottom of his garden, along the boundary of Aero View with Dragon Lane, and build a retaining wall and fence instead.

After first having his application rejected by Wiltshire Council, Mr Baldry won on appeal in March 2016 and was able to build his three foot wall, after the authority's planning team and highways officers raised no objections.

But opposition to the fenced section of the boundary has continued, with local residents, Manningford Parish Council and Pewsey Vale Wiltshire Councillor Paul Oatway all saying it was not in keeping with the area. Highways officers have now said a pedestrian refuge is required on a 17m stretch of grass verge.

Now Mr Baldry, who has so far put in three separate applications for the scheme, fears if the fence is refused by a planning inspector he will also be told to take down the wall.

"I really cannot understand all this fuss. There has never been a refuge in Dragon Lane and the original bank was a steep grassy slope behind a large hedge,” said the retired policeman.

"I cannot understand why the highways department are spending so much time effort and money on a technical matter when the county's roads are in such a dilapidated state.

"This would be funny if it was not so annoying, and the fact that it has caused my wife Siobhan a great deal of stress. I am pretty exasperated by all this.

"I am not confident it will be approved despite doing everything by the book.”

Coun Oatway said: "I agree with the points raised by the highways team as I do not believe this is something that suits the area at all well. This is in an area of outstanding natural beauty and it would not suit Dragon's Lane at all.

"My opposition has nothing to do with the applicant himself, and I feel a pedestrian refuge is necessary."

Richard Netherclift, chairman of Manningford Parish Council, said: "We support the view taken by the highways team because we felt the things that their points of objection were correct. It is not sympathetic to Dragon's Lane but at the same time that is not the issue."