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Couple are ordered to pay more than £500 after they refuse to tear down fence that neighbours say is ugly

Couple have been told to pay more than £500 after erecting 'ugly' fence
Carl Milakovic, 52, and wife Slavica refused to remove it despite complaints
The fence was made from wooden panels nailed to the trunks of trees that had previously formed a hedge which Mr Milakovic spray-painted black
Couple have now both been fined £285 each for breaching planning laws

Published: 19:59 GMT, 18 May 2016 | Updated: 23:49 GMT, 18 May 2016

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A couple have been ordered to pay more than £500 after they refused to tear down an 'ugly' fence outside their home that their neighbours branded 'ugly'.

Father-of-four Carl Milakovic, 52, and his wife Slavica, 54, refused to remove the 6.5ft-tall makeshift fence from their Staffordshire home despite repeated complaints from residents.

The couple were given a final warning on December 7 last year but the failed to take action and yesterday they were both fined £285 each for breaching planning laws.

Lolipop man Carl Milakovic, 52, (pictured) and his wife Slavica, 54, refused to remove the 6.5ft-tall makeshift fence from their Staffordshire home despite repeated complaints from other residents in the area

The couple have been ordered to pay more than £500 after they refused to tear down an 'ugly' fence (pictured)

The couple were found guilty of offences under Section 215 and 216 of the Town and County Planning Act 1990 at Cannock Magistrates Court.

They were ordered to pay costs to the council in the sum of £285 each and fined £60 and told to pay a £20 surcharge.

The court heard the couple erected the fence by the side of their home in Reservoir Road, Hednesford, last year.

The fence was made from wooden panels nailed to the trunks of trees that had previously formed a hedge which Mr Milakovic spray-painted black.

Yesterday Milakovic, a lollipop man whose father was a Serbian immigrant, defended the fence

Following a string of complaints from neighbours, Cannock Chase District Council ruled it was 'of non-standard construction' and ordered them to remove it by October.

When they failed to take it down the council issued them a second enforcement notice ordering them to remove the fence by December 7.

JPs ruled the fence was 'harmful' to the street scene and 'detrimental to the amenity of neighbouring residents.'

Councillor Gordon Alcott, portfolio leader for economic development and planning said:

'The council had served them with a notice requiring the fence to be removed but they had failed to comply and remove the fence.

'Mr Milakovic considered that he had the legal right to erect a two metre fence without having to obtain planning permission, and that the council did not have the power to ask him to remove the fence.

Following the ruling, Milakovic, who lives at the house with his wife, a full-time carer, replaced the fence with a more conventional design

'However, following numerous complaints the council exerted their rights under the

Town and Country Planning Act to require the development to be removed when its condition adversely affects the amenity of the area.'

Yesterday Milakovic, a lollipop man whose father was a Serbian immigrant, defended the fence.

The father-of-four said: 'I still say I have done nothing wrong. There were trees there once but when I cut them back they looked a mess so I put some wood sheets behind them.

'People have apparently been complaining about them, saying the fence looks ugly. It's ridiculous, the fence is on my property.'

Following the ruling, Milakovic, who lives at the house with his wife, a full-time carer, replaced the fence with a more conventional design.

He added: 'I didn't want to replace the fence and don't see why I should but I can't afford to keep getting fined. The court case was a sham.'