UK woman ordered to remove giant gorilla statue from home frontage

A resident of northern England is in a dispute with her local council over a 4ft (1.2m) gorilla statue mounted on the front of her terraced house, after officials said it required planning permission.

Adele Teale, who lives in Wakefield, has owned the statue, named Caesar, for more than 20 years. It previously served as a local landmark at her former home in Leeds for 15 years before she moved to Stanley. She briefly sold the statue six years ago but later bought it back and installed it on a wooden platform at her current property in late 2024, says the BBC.

The dispute began after Wakefield Council received a complaint and issued an enforcement notice on 10 July last year, citing a lack of planning permission. The council said the statue was "not in keeping with the area" and caused "harm to the greenbelt".

Teale appealed the notice, but an independent planning inspector, Mark Ollerenshaw, dismissed the appeal. He ruled that the size and permanence of the structure meant it required planning permission, which had not been obtained, resulting in a breach of planning control.

Teale said she was frustrated by the decision, arguing the statue is securely bolted down, "not hurting anyone," and is simply a "quirky" addition compared with gardens containing "mucky mattresses" and fridges.

She now faces a deadline of 9 June to remove Caesar and its platform. Failure to comply with the enforcement notice is a criminal offence that could lead to a fine of up to £20,000 in magistrates' court.

The council said Teale does not need to dispose of the statue entirely. Joe Jenkinson, the council's service director for planning, said Caesar "just can't go there," suggesting it could be moved elsewhere in her garden.

Teale said she would find a "better spot" for the statue if required to move it.