My neighbours hate my colourful home… someone even slashed my tyres – I was forced to take action
An angry homeowner has hit out after someone slashed his tires during an ongoing neighborhood war.
Toby Garrett finds himself at odds with his community after painting his house and street in bold colors and cartoon-style murals.
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The 40-year-old artist claimed people love his creative creations in Sedbury, near Chepstow in Gloucestershire – but the fed-up locals have described it as ‘awful’.
They’ve even reported the “basic childish artwork” to the Forest of Dean Council, and more than 20 residents have formed a group to put an end to more projects.
Several murals have already been removed after the council ordered their removal.
But now Toby claims his tires were slashed after he took issue with neighbors who fought to have his artwork banned.
Explaining the situation had gotten so bad he had to call the police, the artist told WalesOnline: “The situation is getting a lot worse.”
Toby does not know who allegedly slashed his tires and has not given details on who he thinks it was.
Gloucestershire Constabulary was contacted for comment.
But Toby still gets a lot of support, he said: “People on my street have been sending me messages saying they were disappointed because it cheers up Sedbury.”
“I called the council and was told art would not be allowed without planning permission and I had to tear it down within two weeks.
“I make art to make people happy. I’m sorry she doesn’t make everyone smile.”
This was proven when more than 400 people signed a petition for his sculptures to be preserved.
The petition reads, “A local, Toby, who has created some amazing art sculptures in his garden that all local residents love.”
“The council has now decided that they must tear everything down, which has upset many people as this man has put all his time and effort into cheering up the village.”
Another neighbor who supports the artist previously said: “We love it – it’s just an attempt by the community to wield some power.”
A spokesman for Forest of Dean Council said: “Forest of Dean District Council is aware of the matter regarding a planning dispute at Buttington Road, Sedbury and the case is currently being investigated.”
“As the investigation is ongoing, we will not be making any further comments at this time.”
However, an angry local previously spoke about Toby’s creations, telling The Sun Online: “It’s not very popular.”
“It’s kind of a snowball situation … I think he’s trying to prove his point, but it’s to the detriment of the neighbors.”
The angry neighbor added: “People are worried about the price of their houses.”
“I’m not against art, but it looks awful.”
This comes as a family was furious after being ordered to demolish their £20,000 shed.
They hoped the building would double as an office and shed, as it took Chris and Kelly Robinson about six months to build, along with their 18-year-old son David.
The family had the support of all their close and overlooked neighbors but claim the building was brought to the attention of the local council after a single letter of complaint.
Meanwhile, a man was left furious after his council ordered him to tear down his £5,000 wall – despite it being identical to his neighbour’s.
Mark Roberts, 62, from Caerphilly in Wales, built the six-foot wall in 2020 to keep his front yard from being littered with cans and syringes.
Also, a small business owner was furious after city council ordered her to demolish the cafe in her driveway – which she said would cause her to lose customers.
When must a building permit be applied for?
According to the government council, if you are building something new, making a major change to a building (e.g. an extension) or changing the use of a building, you will likely need a building permit.
You can find out in advance if you need planning permission by contacting your local planning authority (LPA) through your local council.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have slightly different scheduling rules. So it’s always a good idea to check before you start building.
The planning applications are then reviewed by the LPA, which votes on whether or not to approve them.
Decisions are typically made within 8 weeks, but may take longer depending on the complexity of the project.
If you believe that you have been wrongly denied planning permission, you can contact the Planning Inspectorate who will examine the case on behalf of the responsible Foreign Minister.
A decision is then made, either by a Planning Inspector or directly by the Secretary of State, as to whether or not the Council should be suspended.
An appeal may be filed up to six months after notification of the decision, or up to 28 days after receipt of an enforcement notice requesting you to take action
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