‘New fence will be an eyesore for Luton residents’

The Bramingham Woods resident, of Ventnor Gardens, lives in a property that backs onto the woods in the Woodcroft Girl Guide Training Centre, and contacted this newspaper after work recently started to construct a steel fence around its perimeter.

There is currently a green chain link fence at the bottom of the resident’s garden, and those of her neighbours, which she says will be replaced by a steel palisade one.

The resident claimed: “There is a steel fence which surrounds the guide hut at the top of Lygetun Drive, and extends along the blind end of the cul de sac, but they are now extending it behind our row of houses.

“It’s very large and our own view of the woods will be cut off. I have lived here for over 40 years and enjoy watching the animals walking through the woods - there are foxes, Muntjac deer, squirrels.”

She added: “It’s a pity they put the fence up to protect the girls. I don’t know what they need protecting from? We never see them this far down.

“There’s a row of houses here and you don’t see anyone coming into our gardens and trying to climb over the fence to break into their site!”

A spokesperson for Girlguiding Bedfordshire said: “Following several years of discussion, including speaking to residents, Woodcroft Activity Centre agreed to extend the palisade fence to run around the entire compound. “This follows concerns raised about the security of the centre, the safety of its users and that of the local wildlife such as foxes, badgers and deer. It is hoped the fence will combat these worries.”

However, the resident claimed: “At no time was I, or my neighbours in this part of Ventnor Gardens consulted. We knew nothing about the Guides’ plans until the tree fellers moved in!”