A property developer has lost a planning appeal against demolishing an unauthorised six-foot brick wall that blocks a resident's sea view in Southbourne, Bournemouth. The wall, built without permission by Vivir Estates as part of a 27-apartment development, has reportedly cut around £50,000 off the value of Liz Bates' home while enabling a roof terrace to be added to the flat in front of it, boosting that property's worth instead. A planning inspector ruled the structure would have a "harmful overbearing impact" on Ms Bates' property, siding with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, which had already refused retrospective permission for the wall.

The 16ft-long, 6ft-high wall was erected as part of a wider luxury development on a former council car park, a scheme that has angered around 100 local residents, some 1,500 of whom had objected to the original plans. Planning inspector David Kay found the roof terrace it enabled "far exceeded what could be reasonably described as modest" and raised concerns about overheard conversations, noting that while new occupiers would know about privacy issues before moving in, Ms Bates had no such warning. Vivir Estates had argued the wall was needed to prevent "mutual overlooking" between properties, but the inspector dismissed the appeal, finding it contrary to the local development plan.