A British man who recently installed a new gate for his house in the countryside was told to remove it because it was "too smart for the rural area."
According to the Wales Online report, the houseowner David Holman, 53, spent thousands of pounds installing the aluminium gates to replace the normal five-bar gate his home called Little Cider Mill Barn.
The gate he installed to his property in Croesyceiliog, Monmouthshire, to feel more secure after he was verbally abused by a stranger.
The stylish 6-foot gates at the entrance to his ideal barn conversion have a "high quality" wood grain look. Locals objected, though, and planning officials decided the style does not "reflect the rural character of the area," ordering its demolition.
He has now been ordered to remove the gates by planning officials from Monmouthshire County Council, who said that doing so would better safeguard the roadside's rural setting.
In order to enjoy a calm life in the country with his spouse and three dogs, Mr. Holman moved to the rural region in 2019.
And after they moved into their new home, Mr. Holman claimed that a stranger man shouted at him one day, "You don't like people looking into your property, do you?" or "pulling up on the communal drive?"
He stated that after the stranger verbally assaulted him, he called the police, who urged him to tighten security at the rural home.
Mr Holman added: "We were totally unaware that planning would be needed as the gates were within the boundary of our property. The gates that we chose we thought would be the best fit and were able to be installed the fastest."
According to the report, planning inspector Janine Townsley said protecting the rural setting of the roadside was more important than Mr. Holman's security measures.
