Marlow Bottom villagers react to 'Berlin Wall' fence

The fence was initially put forward to Buckinghamshire Council as a palisade metal construction encircling Russian businessman Alexander Mosionzhik’s 12-hectare estate in Marlow Bottom in November 2023.

However, the plans – which proposed the enclosure of over 30 acres of ancient woodland and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – attracted significant criticism from residents who said the “ugly, austere and prison-like” structure would “put local wildlife at risk” and amount to installing a “Berlin Wall” in the village.  

In response to the backlash, Mr Mosionzhik amended the fence to one of the same height constructed from chain-link materials with a painted green finish, and Buckinghamshire Council issued a development permit for the project at the beginning of the year.

Four months on, the expanse of woodland in Marlow Bottom has been enclosed within the amended fence, the central purpose of which is to reportedly deter antisocial behaviour following “break-in, arson and trespassing” attempts.

Residents living on Ragmans Close, a cluster of properties overlooking the fenced-off woodland, were divided on whether the newly finished construction reflects engagement with community concerns or has ‘invaded’ local wildlife habitats.  

Mark Fulton, 49, one of the first people in Marlow Bottom to lodge a complaint against the proposal, said the revised appearance of the structure made him feel that his concerns had been listened to.

“There weren’t any issues with the fence going up, the people doing it just got on with the work and weren’t too noisy.

“We’re all pleased that the design was changed. You can see that it’s there when the sun’s at a particular angle, but otherwise, you have to look to find it – I think our scepticisms have been put to rest in some regard.”

Sarah Bryant, 37, shared a similar view. She said: “I appreciate that he had the right to put a fence around his property, but the metal palisade was over the top.

“I liked that the owner, via a PR agency, sent us a letter to say he’s sorry for everything that happened. I definitely give him some credit for doing that.”

Simone Poli, 84, was more doubtful, however. She and her husband have noticed an increase in wildlife entering their garden since the fence was put up, leading her to suspect that their normal routes have been “blocked in some way”.

She said: “How it would affect the animals was one of our concerns in the beginning. We didn’t object to the plans – we’re too old! But I wish that I had now.

“I think the original design was horrendous and I still don’t know why he had to fence off the whole woodland rather than just putting a barrier around the house. It looks to me like natural habitats are being invaded.”

Steve Pack, 46, who can see the fence clearly from his back garden, was in two minds about the finished construction but was inclined to agree with Simone that he didn’t feel in the clear just yet.

“You see lots of deer in these fields and worrying what would happen to them was a big motivation for us to get involved. I was a bit concerned when I saw all the machinery they had out to clear the woods and put the fence up.

“My main concern is what this shows you about the planning system. We put in lots of letters to the council but ultimately, I think it just came down to the applicant themselves saying, ‘I don’t want to make a fuss, so I’ll change it.’

“If they had wanted to stick to their guns, I think they would have been able to. I’m thankful that they listened to us, but I think it makes a bit of a mockery of the system as a whole.

“If the same thing happened somewhere else and people didn’t notice and complain so much, it would have just gone ahead.”