Is there a maximum legal height for a front garden fence?

[Mattk]

Just curious as our neighbour is replacing it and is using 5ft high panels.

Thx.

[sara3]

I doubt it, unless you're in a conservation area and need to ask permission.

if your neighbours hedge grew to 5' no one could make them cut it down.

[tamborine]

If near a highway it shouldn't be more than 1 metre

http://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/pdf/leaflet%209 .pdf

[mrs_overall]

The maximum height allowed is 2 metres so he is well within the law

[mrs_overall]

Oops, just realised it is a FRONT garden....tamborine is right about the highway part

[tamborine]

I have 20y Lleylandiis facing highway......ha ha that'll fox that 360 camera peering at me ;o)

[Mattk]

thanks guys.

[LoftyLottie]

Depends on the area in which you live and local laws. In some areas you will need planning permission but in others you will not. There are plenty of walls and fences that are higher than 1 meter. In fact whole roads full of them. Check with your planning authority.

Anyway, he may well have planning permission

[bushbaby_de]

Sorry LoftyLottie but you are wrong, this is national law not local. The statute is the Town and Country (General Permitted Development) Order 1996 and part 2 (minor operations) states that a means of enclosure is limited to 1m tall where adjacent to the highway or 2m elsewhere. These rights may be further eroded by local laws known as Article 4 Directions, but I am not aware of any way for local laws to expand these rights. Therefore a new fence adjacent to a highway that is over 1m tall will be in breach of planning control unless express planning permission was granted.

[bushbaby_de]

opps typo should have said GPDO 1995

[LoftyLottie]

Thanks Bushbaby. I have now done some research and it seems that different councils interpret 'adjacent to a highway differently'. Some say 1.3m is adjacent to the highway and others 2 with different amounts inbetween. And it varies between councils. It also seems that in areas where there are tall fences and walls already in existence that the councils will allow taller fences to be erected to remain in keeping with the area. You can also replace like for like in established properties without planning permission.

You can erect a high fence in front of your property as long as you have the correct splay and visibility line within the 'adjacent to the highway' area determined by the council. So generally areas with lots of homes with lots of drives close to each other would have to stick to the 1 metre rule.

However, it would depend

[LoftyLottie]

I am in the process of a planning application for a small development in the back of a house I own, so I have been forced into learning all sorts of things I was never aware of before. Fortunately we can retain the 5' front fence as the splay for the new road meets the visibility requirments.

But thanks again for putting me right. :o)

[LoftyLottie]

Meant to say 'It would depend on planning permission being given'. I went to make a cup of tea and forgot to finish my sentence.