Garden fencing along a highway
Discussion
The house pictured is side on to an A road. Front elevation is to a side road.
The six foot panel fence borders what is used as rear garden. Side and front garden is a small hedge.
Two lower side windows effectively face out to the A road.
I understand that 6 foot fences are not normally allowed along a highway.
However (hypothetically) is it possible to redefine the garden to the side of the house as rear garden and extend the run of six foot panels with 6 foot panels enclosing the section. (Perhaps 3 additional panels. The enclosure would not extend beyond the front elevation- it would extend at 90 degrees along the front elevation.
The second photo show the house during its construction . The temporary builders metal fencing is where we would want to add the new run.
If it is feasible would this be a planning permission issue or maybe just permitted development. ?
Any thoughts?
The six foot panel fence borders what is used as rear garden. Side and front garden is a small hedge.
Two lower side windows effectively face out to the A road.
I understand that 6 foot fences are not normally allowed along a highway.
However (hypothetically) is it possible to redefine the garden to the side of the house as rear garden and extend the run of six foot panels with 6 foot panels enclosing the section. (Perhaps 3 additional panels. The enclosure would not extend beyond the front elevation- it would extend at 90 degrees along the front elevation.
The second photo show the house during its construction . The temporary builders metal fencing is where we would want to add the new run.
If it is feasible would this be a planning permission issue or maybe just permitted development. ?
Any thoughts?
They will say the post and rail boundary fence is fine, the hedge behind it is fine and the panels are a permissible garden structure. However, the rules on location of garden structures state they must usually be behind the front face of the house and if a house is on a corner it has, for practical purposes, two front faces.
See what the Council have to say about it.
See what the Council have to say about it.
i4got said:
The house pictured is side on to an A road. Front elevation is to a side road.
The six foot panel fence borders what is used as rear garden. Side and front garden is a small hedge.
Two lower side windows effectively face out to the A road.
I understand that 6 foot fences are not normally allowed along a highway.
However (hypothetically) is it possible to redefine the garden to the side of the house as rear garden and extend the run of six foot panels with 6 foot panels enclosing the section. (Perhaps 3 additional panels. The enclosure would not extend beyond the front elevation- it would extend at 90 degrees along the front elevation.
The second photo show the house during its construction . The temporary builders metal fencing is where we would want to add the new run.
If it is feasible would this be a planning permission issue or maybe just permitted development. ?
Any thoughts?
I'm no planning expert - but it looks like they are trying to circumnavigate planning regulations by setting the fence away from the boundary.The six foot panel fence borders what is used as rear garden. Side and front garden is a small hedge.
Two lower side windows effectively face out to the A road.
I understand that 6 foot fences are not normally allowed along a highway.
However (hypothetically) is it possible to redefine the garden to the side of the house as rear garden and extend the run of six foot panels with 6 foot panels enclosing the section. (Perhaps 3 additional panels. The enclosure would not extend beyond the front elevation- it would extend at 90 degrees along the front elevation.
The second photo show the house during its construction . The temporary builders metal fencing is where we would want to add the new run.
If it is feasible would this be a planning permission issue or maybe just permitted development. ?
Any thoughts?
RGG said:
I'm no planning expert - but it looks like they are trying to circumnavigate planning regulations by setting the fence away from the boundary.
More likely the developer has agreed the hedge/fence with the planners.Not unusual for there to be covenants dictating not changing things.
I d say there are two issues and allowing the hedge to grow resolves one of them.
The issue of noise/view from the road is improved with a hedge. This is the major of the two issues so may be the resolution..
A lesser secondary issue is that the area cannot really be used for anything as is. If it was absorbed into the back garden it becomes more useful.
The reason for putting the question out there is simply to try to understand from any knowledgeable posters what is the potential outcome from an approach to the planning department before making that approach. It looks as though they charge for pre-advice.
The issue of noise/view from the road is improved with a hedge. This is the major of the two issues so may be the resolution..
A lesser secondary issue is that the area cannot really be used for anything as is. If it was absorbed into the back garden it becomes more useful.
The reason for putting the question out there is simply to try to understand from any knowledgeable posters what is the potential outcome from an approach to the planning department before making that approach. It looks as though they charge for pre-advice.
Edited by i4got on Thursday 30th October 17:55
Edited by i4got on Thursday 30th October 17:56
Hoofy said:
I'd grow the hedge up. It will look better and absorb some of that traffic noise.
No, it really won't. I'm a highways engineer who has done a lot or trials regarding various types of noise barriers - solid/close boarded fences that are embedded in to the ground work. Hedges and trees don't. Fences with a gap at the bottom don't. It's a placebo effect for people who live alongside noisy roads, but there will be next to no noise reduction. Keep/extend the fence. I am 99% certain the Council wouldn't give a hoot, if I was sent to inspect it I wouldn't have any problem with it whatsoever. The existing arrangement looks fine to me.
The 6 foot fence might be at the highway boundary, but back of verge is a lot better than back of footway, or even directly next to the highway - if it is directly at the back of the footway, then it effectively creates a dead space within the footway, and is a problem when it comes to maintenance. Where it is, is sufficiently remote that it wouldn't even register.
Edited by Rusty Old-Banger on Thursday 30th October 18:03
I’ve one like that, the permission allowed to slightly back running at an angle to maintain the sight line from the junction, yours looks the same. We went via planning, they responded with what the roads dept would allow and we built that.
And yes others in the same area have conifers you can’t see past!
And yes others in the same area have conifers you can’t see past!
Inbox said:
What are the realistic prospects of getting hauled up for just fencing it off as per the builders temporary fence?
Easiest solution is hedging rather than a solid fence and as others have said will absorb some of the traffic noise.
https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/25432430.homeowner-appeals-order-take-haddington-garden-fence/ Easiest solution is hedging rather than a solid fence and as others have said will absorb some of the traffic noise.
Yea if you want noise reduction the hedge does nothing, it would need to be 10m deep.
I would just go ahead and put the fence in, get acoustic ones if that’s a busy road.
I really wouldn’t worry about it, as said earlier, that hedge would soon be above the height of any fence anyway.
I would just go ahead and put the fence in, get acoustic ones if that’s a busy road.
I really wouldn’t worry about it, as said earlier, that hedge would soon be above the height of any fence anyway.
I used to be vice chair of a LA planning committee (in Scotland) and this sort of thing used to come up occasionally, predominantly in new build estates. They would reposition their fence to extend their garden/privacy, then neighbours would complain, apply for retrospective planning permission and invariably be refused. The usual excuse was "I checked with the builder/developer and they said it was okay".
tim0409 said:
I used to be vice chair of a LA planning committee (in Scotland) and this sort of thing used to come up occasionally, predominantly in new build estates. They would reposition their fence to extend their garden/privacy, then neighbours would complain, apply for retrospective planning permission and invariably be refused. The usual excuse was "I checked with the builder/developer and they said it was okay".
This is the problem, bloody NIMBYs.Forums | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff