'It's a weight off my mind': Peterborough resident's fence issue fixed after six years

A Peterborough resident who felt unsafe in her own garden due to a broken fence says that it’s a “weight off my mind” that the issue has finally been resolved after six years.

While the original chain link fence at the back of Jayne Robinson’s Tudor Close property remains broken, housing association Cross Keys, which manages the property, has erected a new metal fence in front of it that blocks off her garden.

Jayne, who has agoraphobia – a fear of open or crowded spaces that can prevent sufferers from leaving their homes or neighbourhoods – said it’s “brilliant” that the new fence has been put up.

“I don’t have to worry about it anymore,” she said. “I’m safe again in my garden.”

Cross Keys also erected a wooden fence at the back of Jayne’s garden in 2017 when she moved into her property and first raised the issue, but this left a gap that should have been covered by the broken fence.

Jayne has been on a mission ever since to find out who owns the metal fence, but no-one has taken responsibility.

A spokesperson for Cross Keys said that, although they don’t own the broken fence, they agreed to erect the new, temporary fencing “as an act of goodwill” due to the “severe distress Miss Robinson has been experiencing”.

“Should the owner of the fence look to repair or replace it, we will be happy to remove the panels to allow them full access to complete the required works,” the spokesperson added.

Peterborough City Council (PCC) and Gunthorpe Primary School, which – like Jayne’s property – backs onto a shared public space with a picnic bench – also say the fence isn’t their responsibility.

PCC councillors have, however, asked Cross Keys to look into the issue on Jayne's behalf.

Jayne says she’s still “curious”, though, as to who owns the fence since dealing with the issue has caused her so much hassle.

“I still want to know who it belongs to so I can draw a line under it and move on,” she said.

The hassle has involved contacting Cross Keys as well as multiple councillors to try to resolve the issue – which she says has caused her years of stress.

Jayne previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service about how people would look into her garden and, before the erection of the wooden fence, even come in and leave behind broken bottles and drug paraphernalia.

“It’s been like climbing Everest,” she said of the fight to get her fence fixed. “It’s been a hard slog and I’ve thought about stopping many times. But I’ve got to the bottom of it and it’s gone in my favour this time.”

Jayne also says she suffered a “pile on” on social media from people, wrongly, thinking she was asking for money to solve the issue when she first highlighted the problem.

But in the end, the fix was simple, didn’t cost her any money and took fewer than two hours.

“When I saw what they’d done and how quickly they did it, I looked at it and I did wonder why they couldn’t have just done that six years ago,” Jayne said.

But she’s “just so pleased” it has been sorted and that she can now sit in her garden in peace.