Fences, gates and garden walls
Planning Permission
Do you need planning permission to put up a fence?
You will not need to apply for planning permission if you wish to erect a new; or alter, maintain, improve or take down* an existing fence, wall or gate if the following conditions are met:
- in regard to its height:
- it is next to a highway used by vehicles (or the footpath of such a highway) and it would not exceed one metre in height (from ground level); or
- it would not exceed two metres in height (from ground level) if elsewhere; or
- if an existing fence, wall or gate already exceeds the limits above, that its height would not be increased.
- no part of the site is a listed building or within the curtilage of a listed building.
- no part of the fence, wall, gate or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage.
- the right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates has not been removed by an article four direction or a planning condition.
If any of these conditions are not met, then you will need to apply for planning permission.
*In a conservation area, you might need permission take down a fence, wall or gate. Find out more about conservation areas and when permission may be required1.
You do not need planning permission for hedges as such, though if a planning condition or a covenant restricts planting (for example, on "open plan" estates, or where a driver's sight line could be blocked) you may need planning permission and/or other consent.
Things to consider
You may find it helpful to use the following third-party commercial service to plan your home improvement project:
This link will take you to information about their services.
- https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/home-improvement/planning-consultancy-calculator
Find a Trade Professional
Use our partner directories from CIAT, FMB or RTPI to find an chartered architectural technologist, builder or planning consultant to help with your project or development.
Find a professional (https://www.planningportal.co.uk/planning/planning-applications/find-a-trade-professional)
Find a professionalUseful links
Make an application (https://www.planningportal.co.uk/app/applications)
Make an applicationStudio Charrette planning consultancy calculator (https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/home-improvement/planning-consultancy-calculator)
Studio Charrette planning consultancy calculator- https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/responsibilities/other-permissions-you-may-require/conservation-areas