Explosive row erupts over man’s 2ft fence, council claim; Thorpe St Andrew School
An explosive neighbourhood row has erupted over a 2ft fence outside a man’s house. The dispute — between Totton resident Phil Edwicker and Hampshire County Council over whether the barrier sits on private land or the public highway — is examined here, with Thorpe St Andrew School referenced only as an external name included in the public record.
Phil Edwicker’s confirmed fence history and March 11 removal deadline
Confirmed: Phil Edwicker, 50, of Itchin Close in Totton has had a fence on his property since 2002 and replaced that fence during the Covid period with a new self-built barrier that includes LED lights and stainless steel wires. Documented: Mr Edwicker applied successfully for permission in 2023 to extend his home. Confirmed: Hampshire County Council gave Mr Edwicker a deadline of March 11 to remove part of the fence after saying it encroaches on the public highway; he removed three posts on a temporary basis ahead of that date.
Hampshire County Council, Tim Goodman and Thorpe St Andrew School
Documented: Neighbour Tim Goodman complained to Hampshire County Council planning officers, prompting the council action. Confirmed: Hampshire County Council has said the fence is affecting the verge and footway. Confirmed: Mr Edwicker says he did not apply for planning permission for the original fence but maintains the barrier stands on his land and that one immediate neighbour has no problem with it. Open question: whether legal title or a highway boundary survey exists that shows the verge and footway belong to Hampshire County Council is not confirmed in the record.
What the 2023 permission and Mr Edwicker statements reveal about land claims
Confirmed: Mr Edwicker told officers and a local paper that the current fence replaces one he first put up in 2002 and that he installed the present version during Covid. Confirmed: he is the managing director of a lift company and described investing significant time and money in the fence. Documented: Mr Edwicker said Hampshire Highways Authority “haven’t proved to me it’s their land, it’s just their word against mine. ” Open question: the public record presented here does not include a land registry extract, a planning decision notice that addresses the fence’s footprint, or a highways boundary plan that would settle whose land the verge and footway are.
Confirmed: council officers have asserted an effect on the verge and footway and have issued a removal demand. Documented: Mr Edwicker has complied partly by removing three posts temporarily, while stating he will continue to contest the decision. Open question: what formal evidence each side will present next is not specified in the material available.
If Hampshire County Council confirms ownership of the verge and footway with an official boundary record or a formal highways land designation, it would establish that the fence encroaches on public land; conversely, if Mr Edwicker produces title documents or a survey showing the boundary lies within his property, it would establish his claim that the fence stands on private land.
