THE owner of a listed building at the gateway to Blackmoor has been ref-used permission for a five-foot chain fence around the property. Civil engineer Jock Trodden is renovating South Lodge, a grade II-listed, Tudor-style building on the Blackmoor junction of the A325, commissioned by Natural History Museum architect Alfred Wate-rhouse in 1869. Mr Trodden sought retrospective planning consent after erecting a green, plastic chain- link fence along the garden boundary, which he claims was done on the advice of police and security advisors. Members of the district council's planning committee voted against the application, saying it was "an incongruous feature detracting from the character of the area and the setting of the statutory listed building". They also said the fence was "inappropriate" to the "rural location" of the house, which lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the proposed South Downs National Park. Mr Trodden has yet to decide whether to appeal against the decision or remove the fence. The councillors' comments came despite a recommendation from planning officers to allow the fence on the basis that it "would not harm the special character, quality, tranquility and appearance of the surrounding landscape". Mr Trodden said he and his wife were "absolutley staggered at the level of animosity" surrounding the application, in light of the fact that they were "going to considerable expense to restore the building to its original condition". He told The Herald he had put up the fence for protection after his family had received threatening phone calls and messages from travellers. This was done after consulting with police, security advisors and a horticulturalist, he said. In order to reduce the impact of the fence on the historical building, he planted hundreds of beech saplings next to it which, according to photographic evidence he holds of similar projects, he argues will grow to effectively mask the fence from sight. The district council's principal conservation officer and principal landscape officer agreed that a fully grown beech hedgerow would screen the fence, according to a report presented to the committee by plannig officer Chris Murray. At the meeting, Blackmoor's district councillor Warwick Womack said: "I think this fence is out of character, and conflicts with the listed building. The hedge will be on the inside of the fence so the applicant won't have to see it but everyone else will. "Does this application incorporate appropriate design and materials? No. Does it enhance the building? No." Councillor Anthony Will-iams agreed the fence was "totally out of place" and "fairly stark" against the backdrop, but suggested the applicant be given temporary permission for the fence until the hedge had reached maturity. Councillor Jerry Janes supported such a measure, saying the fence was "not so offensive that it's worth fining the applicant the cost of putting it in". Councillor Womack also mentioned that a Victorian iron fence, which had been at the front of the property, had been "torn down" to make way for the fence, which Mr Trodden feels swayed the committee's decision. Mr Trodden's architects said the iron fence had been "mostly destroyed by vehicles driving into it", with segments having been replaced with corrugated iron, chicken netting and old chain link. Mr Trodden was due to attend a Selborne Parish Coun-cil meeting on Wednesday to air his views.