A frustrated local has bulldozed part of a wall dubbed the ‘
Berlin
Wall 2′ after it appeared between two estates.
A huge barrier was built between the Kellands Lane estates in Okehampton.
Devon
, leaving locals stunned by the towering edifice.
Some have compared it to the notorious Berlin Wall that separated East and West Germany, which came down during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
It was vandalized with graffiti reading 'Berlin Wall Mk 2,' and the local council served an Enforcement Notice on April 25, ordering the owner to remove it by May 27; otherwise, authorities would take action.
A resident commented online: "I believed Trump was solely constructing walls within the United States!"
'There will be guard towers set up.'
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The dispute has intensified following an anonymous local resident who leased a JCB excavator and dismantled portions of the boundary to create an opening.
A local commented: "I'm not sure why they've placed it there."
'It really resembles the Berlin Wall; it has made the neighborhood much more peaceful. People were joking that before long, they might see watchtowers being set up.'
'Everybody felt thankful towards the individual who took it down.'
Councillor George Dexter stated that the issue lies with the fact that the land acts as a 'ransom strip' adjacent to privately owned property.
This implies that anyone crossing this narrow piece of land is legally considered to be trespassing.
He mentioned, "A hedge was once situated here, but people would simply walk around it. Over time, as the years passed, residential areas began to emerge surrounding this spot."
'A few weeks back, this wall abruptly showed up, leaving everyone puzzled. It completely blocks access for everybody around here.'
‘Last week a resident took things into his own hands and soon after the council issued an enforcement notice.’
Another resident said the wall means her husband can’t get through it as he uses a mobility scooter.
Caroline Mott, who serves as the principal councillor for planning and the constructed environment at West Devon Borough Council, stated
Devon Live
'The Council has initiated steps to remove the structure with hopes that the disruption to the community will be addressed urgently.'
Owner's response following the excavator accident
The creator of the privately owned land stated that the incident, occurring on April 17, has been communicated to law enforcement authorities.
A representative from Leander Developments stated: "The property in dispute is privately owned, hence there is no public easement through this area — this situation doesn't involve public access issues since crossing this land constitutes an act of trespass."
So far, we have received a stop notice, but not yet an enforcement notice.
'The newly built temporary facility on our property was established for reasons of public safety and insurance, since Google Maps now indicates a right of way over this privately owned land.'
‘Our insurance requires us to take reasonable steps to prevent trespass, and Google now showing this as a right of way could invalidate our insurance, unless we can demonstrate that we have taken positive steps to prevent illegal entry onto our land.
On April 17th, an individual operating a excavator deliberately damaged a temporary structure, which led to legal action being taken. The incident has been reported to the authorities and they have assigned a case number.
'We suggest members of the public keep their distance from this structure since we can't ensure its stability after the assault, and the stop notice issued by the Council stops us from doing any repair work.'
'To protect our insurance, we believed it was our entitlement under permissible development rights to construct a temporary building. It’s disheartening that the Council is allowing actions that enable trespassing to persist, even though they were informed of this necessity for insurance reasons.'
The developer mentioned they had a meeting with council officials at the location back in January 2023; however, 'the West Devon Borough Council did not proceed further,' and expressed their readiness for collaboration toward a 'lasting resolution.' They emphasized that despite this willingness, the council must 'engage with us' as well.
We reached out to the council and the police for their input.
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