Wakefield Council orders removal of resin gorilla statue by June 9, 2026

A 59-year-old homeowner in Stanley, near Wakefield, is facing enforcement action after Wakefield Council ordered the removal of a four-foot resin gorilla statue displayed at the front of her property, warning she could face a fine if she does not comply. Adele Teale has been told the statue, named Caesar, must be taken down by June 9, 2026, following an appeal process in which the Planning Inspectorate upheld a council enforcement notice.

The dispute began after the council received a complaint about an “animal structure” mounted outside Teale’s two-bedroom terraced home. In a letter dated May 27, 2025, the council advised her to remove the figure and said the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 might require planning permission. Teale said she attempted to contact the authority several times but did not receive a response, and later received an enforcement notice on July 10, 2025.

The enforcement notice said the statue was not a minor decorative feature, describing it as a prominent and eye-catching structure out of character with the surrounding area. It also said that, because no planning application had been made, it could not assess whether benefits outweighed potential harm...