Removing party fence and replacing it with a wall for privacy

bonbons

Our house is one of three that were built 6/7 years ago by a developer each on 0.75 of an acre. The three houses were sold by him and we live in the middle house. They are located in the countryside with only a wooden fence separating each property. We have no privacy from our neighbours on either side and this has become a real issue for us. We cannot go outside our back door withour our neighbnour being at the fence for a big chat and discussion. We planted leylandii trees but they died due to the frost. Would we be allowed to erect a wall (2 m tall) on either side to give us some privacy from both sets of neighbours. We have no objection paying for the new wall ourselves.

Would our neighbours be able to object to us building a wall. We would be happy to remove the fence and build a wall or leave the fence and build the wall entirely on our land.

Our neighbours on both sides are very nice and we have a very good relationship with them (maybe too good) and we don't want to cause any trouble with them.

We would be eternally grateful for any advice/help on this issue.

muffler

First thing is that you are OK in relation to planning so long as the wall is no more than 2 metes high and is located to the rear of the front wall of the house.

With regards to the main thrust of your query you would need to get permission from your neighbours if you wish to remove the fence. Shouldn't be a problem if you all get on well and its also to their advantage to have a wall there.

Good luck with it.

bonbons

Muffler, thankyou for your quick reply. If either neighbour was aginst the idea of a wall, could they prevent us from getting planning permission to build the wall? One of our neighbours is very fond of talking over the fence and maynot want to get rid of it! I've never broached the subject with neighbours incase they were negative towards the idea.

muffler

bonbons wrote: »

Muffler, thankyou for your quick reply. If either neighbour was aginst the idea of a wall, could they prevent us from getting planning permission to build the wall? One of our neighbours is very fond of talking over the fence and maynot want to get rid of it! I've never broached the subject with neighbours incase they were negative towards the idea.

First of all if you build the wall to a height of 2 metres or less to the rear of the house and keep it inside the fence then you wont need planning permission.

If you wish to remove the fence then and build in it's place without any consultation with the neighbours then Id suggest you talk to your solicitor about this as building/replacing a shared boundary without getting the consent of the other party could lead to problems and possibly the end of a good friendship.

Ask the neighbours nicely

DOCARCH

+ 1 to what Muffler has said.

Only real issue I can see is how you explain to your neighbours without offending?

Ideally the centreline of the new boundary wall should be on the centreline of the existing fence as a wall each side of your garden will take a chunk of space out your garden. Your fence at the moment will probably be no wider than 100mm - a wall will have to be min. 215mm wide + will have to have piers at appropriate centres.

If it can be somehow agreed to build new walls on centreline, make sure it is agrred in writing by all.

bonbons

The wall would hopefully run along the sides of our house and neighbours down along the lawn to the road.

If the nighbours did not like the idea of a wall could we go ahead and apply for planning to build the wall on our own plot to one side of the fence? If the neighbours lodged an objection to the county council could they stop us from building the wall. Could they state that the wall would block their view?

It is a lovely day here today and if we want to go outside and enjoy it we have to be prepared to chat and talk with our neighbours the entire time that we are outside. It gets tiring after a while!

Thankyou for your replies so far they have been really helpful.

DOCARCH

Generally you don't need planning for the wall (with certain limitations) once it's to the rear of the house whether it's inside or on the existing boundary fence.

muffler

bonbons wrote: »

We cannot go outside our back door withour our neighbnour being at the fence for a big chat and discussion.

bonbons wrote: »

The wall would hopefully run along the sides of our house and neighbours down along the lawn to the road.

You seem to be moving the goalposts slightly here. Are you talking about (a) building a wall to the rear or (b) building a wall to the front or (c) building a wall for the full length of the boundary?

bonbons

The houses are beside each other so we'd be hoping to build a wall the full length of the boundary where the existing fence is. the wall would be going along the side of our house and our neighbours.

muffler

You can build a wall (on your own property or with the consent of the other party if a shared boundary) up to 1.2 metres high to the front of the house. Anything higher than this will need permission.

If you apply for permission then the neighbours are quite entitled to make an observation/objection if they so wish.

Talk to them.

bonbons

Hopefully building a wall the full length of the boundary. If neighbours were not in agreement then 1/2 way down the boundary and then a fence. TBH we are open to any ideas. If it were not for the privacy issue we wouldn't mind. Can neighbours stop us building a wall if they wish? How about is we built it our side of the fence. It really is very annoying could not sit outside today without having to talk to the neighbours the entire time that we were outside.

Thankyou for all the replies to our questions

changes

bonbons wrote: »

Hopefully building a wall the full length of the boundary. If neighbours were not in agreement then 1/2 way down the boundary and then a fence. TBH we are open to any ideas. If it were not for the privacy issue we wouldn't mind. Can neighbours stop us building a wall if they wish? How about is we built it our side of the fence. It really is very annoying could not sit outside today without having to talk to the neighbours the entire time that we were outside.

Thankyou for all the replies to our questions

bonbons,

I'm in a similar postion to yourself i have a house at either side of me and on both sides there is a small wire fence with a young hedge growing, I estimate it will be at least 5 years before the hedges are a reasonable height. I'd much prefer a quicker solution. Privacy is important to some people and i am one of them.

Have you thought of a fence like this: http://www.cpmlandscaping.com.au/images/projects/lg_fences09.jpg

Also what sort of money do you estimate a 2m wall on either side of your 0.75 acre site would cost?

bonbons

Hi changes,

It's good to hear that we're not the only ones in this situation!! TBH i haven't priced a wall yet, i was just wondering if it would be possible to build a wall with/without neighbours' agreement. We have thought of the idea of putting up fence but had wondered about the maintenance of it and would it rot in time to come. Though a wall would be a more permanent structure.

I would be happy enough with putting up a fence though. As i posted earlier we planted leylandii trees, the 'privacy hedge' but they died with the frost/snow etc. I would see our biggest problem being trying to get neighbours to agree as only today they were saying how much they love the view from their house.

Would your neighbours be agreeable to you erecting a fence?

changes

I haven't really talked to them about it, they own the hedges as they were there before me so i kind of have no say in how they manage them, our ground is quite poor so it could be ages before they grow.

I was thinking on putting a fence like the one shown in picture link on my side of the existing fence and planting my own hedge but then it might look silly with a fence and 2 different hedges on either side of it.

You can also buy hedging that is already a decent height and plant that, but then there would still be 2 hedges.

It really is a dilemma and i'm sure lots of people have had or are having the same problem.