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Tammie McNeill, a resident of Woodbridge, Suffolk, is determined to challenge a council’s directive to remove protective bars she installed on her flat windows. After her windows were repeatedly vandalized by intoxicated individuals, McNeill invested £2,000 in repairs and fitted handmade metal guards 18 months ago to prevent further damage. She shared that on one occasion, an extremely drunk man fell through one of her windows and ended up inside her living room, while another incident involved someone breaking a pane while she was watching television.
Despite the security benefits the guards provide, East Suffolk Council has ordered McNeill to take them down. The council stated that the bars were installed without obtaining the necessary planning permission or listed building consent for her flat at Mariners Court in New Street. McNeill expressed that removing the bars would significantly impact her wellbeing, saying it would leave her feeling unsafe and “on edge every single evening.” She described the window guards as her only source of peace of mind and voiced her frustration toward those who complained, warning, “My health is going to decline because of this, so whoever complained, I hope you’re very pleased with yourself – shame on you.”
Living with her two white huskies in a historic property, McNeill emphasized the importance of preserving the building’s original architecture and noted that only one vulnerable original window remains. The metal grills not only deterred vandals from damaging the windows but also prevented them from sitting on the window sills or leaving their glasses there. “I don’t want to come across as a nimby, but I was up and down at my windows every time I heard a drunken group,” she said. After the guards were installed, both she and her dogs felt a sense of relief, with McNeill adding that her dogs sensed her severe anxiety and relaxed as a result.
The council first instructed McNeill to remove the bars in October and reiterated the demand recently after she failed to comply. According to a letter seen by the BBC from the council’s enforcement officers, retrospective planning permission was unlikely to be granted, and McNeill was given 28 days to remove the grills, or face “formal action.” McNeill remains resolute, stating, “I just cannot have them removed because I cannot be without them, so I have told the council I’m happy to fight them in court.” East Suffolk Council was approached for comment but did not provide one at the time of reporting
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