Max height of garden fence in UK?

[NiceCupOfTea]

At the bottom of the garden we curently have a 4 foot fence with a foot of trellis on top, slotted in between those grooved concrete fence posts. If the neighbours are in the garden they can see straight into our living room, so we'd like to put something higher up.

The fence is some distance from both houses so shouldn't be any impact on light, etc.

I've had a quick google and there are many conflicting ideas about what is legal.

Current thought is to get some 6'x6' fence panels and just slot them in. They will be a bit higher than the concrete posts but I'm hoping that won't look too stupid... But may give rise to questioning about legality if they go higher than the posts...

Obviously there is some gravel board at the bottom, so the total height above the ground on our side would be 6' plus a few inches. Would this be OK?

The fence is owned by us.

[DrDeAtH]

I believe the height is permitted to be a max of 2 metres for the boundary fence.

[Beardy10]

Grow something! Bamboo is the obvious quick growing choice...will obviously have an initial impact but probably take a couple of growing seasons really to thicken out. Certainly a plant of some kind must look better than a high fence as presumably you can see it from your living room?

[RedWhiteMonkey]

DrDeAtH said:

I believe the height is permitted to be a max of 2 metres for the boundary fence.

That is the maximum height permitted without planning permission, in theory you could have any height above that provided you have planning permission for it.

[Shuvi Tupya]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

DrDeAtH said:

I believe the height is permitted to be a max of 2 metres for the boundary fence.

That is the maximum height permitted without planning permission, in theory you could have any height above that provided you have planning permission for it.

Also (In theory) you could build a 20ft high fence one foot inside the boundary?

[Steffan]

Shuvi Tupya said:

RedWhiteMonkey said:

DrDeAtH said:

I believe the height is permitted to be a max of 2 metres for the boundary fence.

That is the maximum height permitted without planning permission, in theory you could have any height above that provided you have planning permission for it.

Also (In theory) you could build a 20ft high fence one foot inside the boundary?

Some of the legal aspects of fencing limits is defined under the Building Regulations, some under Planning Law some under Case law where decisions pre date a particular scenario. Its NOT a simple question.

In principal you should be OK with fencing up to 2 metres in a 'suitable material' ie non hazardous etc erected on the boundary assuming there is one.

However there may be caveats in the deeds to your property governing who has the right to erect fences and who has the duty to erect fences. You should check. I also suggest discussion with your neighbours BEFORE erection.

There may be further limits if windows on a neighbouring property are close to the boundary at ground level. There may be (or may NOT be) a right to light. This does depend on the particular circumstances.

Any structure at all over 4 metres will require planning approval and building regs approval in any urban property anywhere on the property. Thus a flag pole or similar could be a problem.

Most English law depends on reasonableness as the acid test: QV Lord Denning on just about everything legal.

You may WELL not have a problem whatever you do.

I regularly see deliberate and obvious planning breaches ignored by planners and unnoticed by neighbours.

Also in principal after four years have passed a structure being erected it cannot be removed by planning laws unless something very odd has happened.

Of course if you live in a conservation area or similar controlled planning environment that would be a whole new ball game with LOADS of regulations down to the nails used etc.

To summarise you need to check with the planners, neighbours and deeds first. Even then there could be difficulties if anyone wants to make it an issue.

On of the consequences of dense property occupation is that everything you do has a consequence on the environment and your neighbours.

Its a lot easier if you have a smallholding miles from everywhere but even then the bureaucrats are extending their controls!!

[Mr GrimNasty]

What he means is yes 2M max. without PP, 1M adjacent a highway, in 99% of cases. You could fix a strip of trellis all the way along to cover the gaps above the posts.

It's boundary fence or means of enclosure I believe, so putting it inside the boundary at 3M high doesn't make it exempt.

[Shuvi Tupya]

In my last house the garden had been levelled, leaving a path down one side that was two feet lower than the lawn.

Having a six foot fence on that boundary was like having a four foot fence , so i put a 7ft fence up along the edge of the lawn. From my neighbours perpective i may as well have just put a 9ft fence right on the boundary..luckily they did not complain