Planning permission for front garden fence ?

[mark309]

Good morning,
I am very new to the home ownership and DIY game.I have sadly led a sheltered life,LOL.
I have what may be a complicated situation if my friend is correct about not being able to have a front garden as a garden.
I recently moved into a maisonette,which as you may know is a sort of cross between a house and a flat.
Technically i own the house but not the land as such.
Maisonettes have varying gardens, and it can be lots of different divisions of garden space.
The place i live in is allocated the front garden.I wish to put a fence up around the front,about 5ft high solid panel, with 1ft trellace on top.this is so i can have the privacy to sit in the garden,hang out my washing,have a garden shed,just general garden things really.My friend seems to think I will not be able to do that.I have seen it done at another property i had viewed,but my friend thinks I would not be able to use it as a garden,one can only do those things if it is a back garden.Is there anyone out there who would know if this is correct ? I live in the bourough of hounslow.
Please can anyone help me with an answer,thanks

 

[noseall]

There may be limits as to high high a solid garden fence can be built, to the front elevation.

You may be allowed, for instance, to build say a 3' high wall then fix railings for the remaining height.

As for the ultimate usage, i would imagine it makes no odds.

 

[RedHerring]

As Noseall said: and very much down to local variations. Often 1 meter high is limit to front.
To quote recent experience:
Last house was built with defined restrictions of no fence whatever to front garden. All houses in street had to have open aspect to front. No specific allocation to the area, (e.g AONB).
This house we are allowed max 1 meter high open fence, i.e. no solid construction and must be able to see through fence. I assume for security/safety reasons. This area is classified as AONB.
In some locations it is not unusual to see 2 meter high fences to front elevation.
You only have to ask. It will not normally require planning permission but may be checked after completion.
Normally 2 meter high boundary is acceptable in rear gardens.

 

[Chukka63]

Walls and fences can go 1m high without planning permission at the front of your property.You can apply for planning permission for fences/walls to go higher if you wish.
Thats my understanding on this matter.
Just call your local Council for clarification.

 

[noseall]

There could be restrictive covenants within the deeds that stipulate the appearance of the frontages. For example, one such covenant may restrict hedges or fence heights or may forbid fences altogether.

 

[RedHerring]

I think there may be peculiar anomalies that could apply also. For instance: one side of our boundary to our front garden is our neighbour's back garden boundary. So that boundary is allowed to be 2 meters high up to meet the highway. Similarly, if your boundary of your back garden is alongside the highway you would probably be allowed 2 meters high without problems.

 

[RedHerring]

Is there also some silly ruling that means that you can control the height of the fence but not that of trees, hedges, etc???

 

[Thermo]

generally height of shrubs etc is not controlled. fences normally are dependent on the class of road that they adjoin. As noseall says many front gardens are also controlled by the deeds, however they are seldom enforced.

 

[sarah83]

Hi,

No experience of fences etc but in our old house we removed some of the garden and put stones on so we could have a slightly wider garden. It was specified in the deeds as having to be 'lawn or flowerbed' so we had to re-turf before the solicitor would exchange on our house. A right pain 3 days before moving house!

 

[DevilDamo]

As per the Planning Portal website...

You will need to apply for planning permission if you wish to erect or add to a fence, wall or gate and:

• it would be over 1 metre high and next to a highway used by vehicles (or the footpath of such a highway); or over 2 metres high elsewhere; or
• your right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates is removed by an article 4 direction or a planning condition; or
• your house is a listed building or in the curtilage of a listed building.
• the fence, wall or gate, or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage.

 

[resipsaloquiter]

I expect you have a lease so first check the lease, if you don't have a copy ask to see a neighbours and failing that get a copy from HM Land Registry. If you don't find your answer in the lease you need to get 'office copies' for the Freehold. They should confirm, or not, if there is any restrictive covenant concerning structures at the front of the property. That is the first step.

The next step is to consider planning issues. I'm unsure of the position in London but expect so long you're not close to a junction then you may be alright, best though to speak with planning. If you need permission then make the application, you don't need to be the owner of land to make an application!

Hope that helps!