Norfolk aristocrat fails in appeal to erect barbed wire near 17th century estate

An aristocrat has been unsuccessful in his appeal to build a barbed wire fence around the boundary of a common near his 17th-century estate.

Lord Charles Townshend, proprietor of Raynham Estate, had plans to erect the fencing around Shereford Common, situated near Fakenham, Norfolk.

Shereford Common is a five-hectare plot of land used for grazing cattle, including Lord Townshend’s pure-bred Aberdeen Angus cows.

The Lord ascended to the title of 8th Marquess in 2010, with his family having owned the land surrounding Raynham Estate since the 12th century. The country house on the estate was constructed in 1621.

Spanning 5000 acres, the estate is one of the largest in Norfolk and submitted a planning application to the Planning Inspectorate in August 2023.

The proposal stated that the barbed wire fence would help maintain the land in ‘good agricultural and environmental condition’ by enclosing the grazing cattle.

However, the Planning Inspectorate rejected the appeal, stating it would have ‘no positive impacts’ on the local area.

The inspectorate noted that the fence would be ‘highly visible’ to locals and would ‘detract from the public’s enjoyment of the landscape’.

They suggested that there were alternative solutions to prevent the pure-bred Aberdeen Angus cattle from straying while preserving the condition of the common.

The inspectorate concluded: “The application would have no positive impacts on the neighbourhood, and would result in a moderate adverse effect on the conservation of the landscape.”

“Alternatives to the fencing would maintain the condition of the common and would allow for grazing by preventing cattle from straying, whilst avoiding the adverse effect.”

The Open Spaces Society also voiced their opposition to the plans, highlighting that public access rights exist over the land and the proposed fence would restrict this.

Hugh Craddock, the case officer for the conservation charity, stated there was “no evidence” that permission had been granted for the erection of the original fence.

Currently, electric fencing and some wooden posts surround a significant portion of the common, believed to have been in place for several decades.

The planning inspectorate clarified that consent for previous or existing fences is not within their jurisdiction.

However, they noted that the proposed barbed-wire fence would not negatively impact the rights of those with access across the land.

Yet, these were deemed ‘neutral matters’ and did not tip the scales in favour of the Estate.