Couple with garden ornaments of gnomes win Legal battle to keep them

A couple whose 'tacky' garden ornaments sparked a war with their neighbours have won a battle to keep them.

Adina and Sorin Banatean thought their collection of over 30 gnomes, golden lion statues and lights would cheer up their neighbourhood.

But their colourful front garden instead quickly sparked a furious reaction from their fellow residents who claimed they had 'brought shame to the area'.

The rows erupted after the couple installed a fake well, two pergolas, and a large bird feeder in May this year at their home in Nelson, Lancashire, without planning permission.

This led a number of neighbours to complain to Pendle Council saying they are 'not pleasant to view.'

But Mr and Mrs Banatean have defiantly fought back against their fellow residents stressing: 'It is our property, and what we did was within our garden.'

The couple applied for retrospective planning permission after received a letter from the council in May outlining the work they completed needed planning permission and that they had received complaints.

Yet despite this council officials approved the couple's application allowing them to keep the decorations to their 'delight'.

Mr Banatean, who is originally from Romania, said: 'I was happy when the council approved our application as we weren't sure if they were going to.

Mr and Mrs Banatean's garden

'It is our property, and what we did was within our garden. We love the garden and the gnomes, they make us happy, the children love them.

'It was just two or three complaining neighbours.'

The pergola stretches from the entrance gate to halfway up the path towards the house, with metal pillars and chains hanging between them running the length.

In the corner of the garden site the ornamental well next to the road, with the tall bird feeder, which resembles a Swiss cuckoo clock, sited on the front lawn.

The lawn is also dotted with over 30 garden gnomes and ornaments adding to the aesthetic.

Their retrospective planning application drew eight complaints from nearby residents.

One complaint said: 'The wishing well, with its large-sized flashing lights, is obstructive, unsightly and appears out of place.

'The overall proposal is very unattractive and negatively impacts the area.'

The wishing well in Mr and Mrs Banatean's garden

Another said: 'The garden ornaments are over the top and the amount of lights on the outside of the property are above the level of any normal home.

One other neighbour said: 'I just don't think that everything that's been done is in keeping with the area.

'I spoke with one of the residents who's having problems with rats and bird muck from the pigeons which are from the bird house which is in the garden..'

Another complaint said: 'The extra large well with its flashing lights ship wheels and garden norms on it are adding to traffic slowing down or stopping in the road to get a look at the mad hatters tea party in disbelief which is so dangers to other read users.

'If this is approved it will be a shame to the area.'

One resident claimed the wishing well is 'obstructive' and 'unsightly'.

In a report to officials on October 8 earlier this year, planning officer John Halton recommended the application to be approved.

He said the installations were all 'appropriate with a garden setting'.

Cllr Halton also said that 'the intensity and direction of the lighting does not materially affect light levels to the extent that it would cause disturbance to neighbours or wildlife'.

He said there were no material reasons to reject the application, and the ornaments were approved and can remain in the garden.

Lancashire County Council, which acted as the local highway authority, didn't raise an objection regarding the above retrospective development.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15348577/Couple-tacky-garden-ornaments-gnomes-golden-lion-statues-lights-sparked-war-neighbours-win-battle-them.html