NEIGHBOURS say they more than welcome, in fact we are delighted that Fenland District Council demolished a barn near Wisbech last week, as reported exclusively in the Wisbech Standard. There is hardly a resident who didn t welcome it, said a neighbour

NEIGHBOURS say they "more than welcome, in fact we are delighted" that Fenland District Council demolished a barn near Wisbech last week, as reported exclusively in the Wisbech Standard.

"There is hardly a resident who didn't welcome it," said a neighbour. "And as for the disruption caused by the council's diggers and lorries, we welcomed that too."

The neighbour spoke out after the council moved to demolish the barn in Bedford Road, Foul Anchor, which was built without planning permission.

"There's been huge problems on that site," said the neighbour. "The man who did it has only got himself to blame. To be truthful I feel more sorry for the council. The man was flouting the law, and we are just pleased to see it go."

A council spokesman pointed out this week that they ordered the barn's demolition after it was put up without planning consent.

The council moved onto the site 14 months after planning committee had approved 'default' action to clear it, after the owner, Leonard Fulcher, had consistently failed to comply with enforcement notices.

The spokesman said the matter first came to the attention of the council in 2001 when Mr Fulcher applied to convert a barn on the site to a home.

"It was quickly realised that the barn in question had been built without planning permission," said the spokesman.

In January 2002, enforcement notices were issued requiring that Mr Fulcher stop developing the site for residential, domestic and hobby purposes and that all buildings, structures and containers and resultant debris as well as propagated plants be removed from the site. The notice period required compliance within one month.

"Mr Fulcher failed to comply with the notices and was twice prosecuted," said the spokesman.

"He failed to comply and in July last year a report was submitted which involved the council getting the go-ahead to demolish the buildings and clearing the site."

Fenland's planning committee approved 'default' action to demolish the building in July last year.