A neighbour row is brewing in Bristol over an "unnecessary" demolition of a Victorian boundary wall, with residents locked in a bitter battle with a local housing association.
The stone wall in Cotham, in central Bristol, is set to be demolished then rebuilt by LiveWest Homes Limited - with neighbouring homeowners forced to front the costs.
Bristol City Council's development control committee voted to grant permission for the works on Wednesday.
But residents have objected to the plans, claiming the demolition is "unnecessary" and financially burdensome.
The wall sits in front of Knightstone Lodge, a four-storey 1970s block of flats in a conservation area - but the housing association has said it has "failed" and needs rebuilding.
At Wednesday's committee meeting, Green Councillor Guy Poultney, representing Cotham, voiced residents' frustrations.
The stone wall (pictured) in Cotham, in central Bristol, is set to be demolished then rebuilt by LiveWest Homes Limited
"Residents approached me because they couldn't make contact with the applicant and didn't understand why they seemed absolutely hell-bent on demolishing large sections of this wall unnecessarily," he said.
"This is the only time someone has proposed demolishing one of these walls, rather than simply repairing it."
No representatives from LiveWest Homes attended the meeting.
Prior to the meeting, LiveWest vowed that parts of the walls were unstable and at risk of collapse.
And in planning documents, they noted: "Sections of retaining walls are actively moving and are at risk of partial collapse."
They added that the failure of masonry is "unpredictable" and they "cannot put a time frame on when failure will occur."
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The wall sits in front of Knightstone Lodge, a four-storey 1970s block of flats in a conservation area
Existing stones would be kept and reused "as much as practical."
The housing association could serve a "party wall notice" on neighbours living adjacent to the flats.
This would legally require them to pay for some of the extensive works, as the rear wall is shared property.
But a string of neighbours have objected to the plans, arguing the demolition is unnecessary and would impose a significant financial burden on local families.
One neighbour wrote to the council: "The state and repair of the walls are no different from any other in this area. If one structurally surveyed the area, the entire wall structure of Cotham would require urgent rebuilding."
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They added that local repairs to collapsed walls "stay good for many years" and that a complete rebuild represents "a huge financial burden" for adjacent properties.
Councillors were advised that party wall disputes are handled through a separate process and shouldn't influence their planning decision.
All but one committee member voted to approve the application, with Green Councillor Ellie Freeman abstaining.
Fellow Green Councillor Serena Ralston supported the decision, citing safety concerns.
"Having had a situation where a wall almost collapsed on one of my children, I would always go with the safety option," she said.
