This is a story about a brick wall at a busy & popular convenience store in Dorchester.
The wall was located in a conservation area and enclosed an overgrown plot of land.
Then the plot of land was beautifully landscaped.
During those landscaping works the boundary wall was found to be unstable and at risk of falling down, the stone plinth had crumbled away and the old bricks spalled and broken.
The wall was rebuilt December 2023 with well finished piers and brick detailing.
Everybody was pleased, it smartened up a once neglected area.
BUT the Planners were not pleased! A planning enforcement officer got in touch.
A pre-application was made to seek what changes/enhancements the Planners might prefer.
The feedback was negative but a Full Planning application was requested.
A Full Planning application was made.
Despite a lot of local support and local press coverage the application was refused.
This was a surprise given the local support for it and that it would not be at all sustainable to take down a new wall, throw away new materials and rebuild as the Planners had suggested.
So a Planning Appeal was made and our case was again re-made.
We waited.
Then in May 2025 we received the news, the Planning Inspectorate allowed the appeal – we won!
The wall was allowed to stay.