Fence height rules in England: 1 m by a highway, 2 m elsewhere

The two numbers

In England, fences, gates and garden walls usually count as permitted development, which means you can put them up without applying for planning permission. The Planning Portal sets out the limits: where the structure is next to a highway, including footpaths, it must not be more than one metre high. On every other boundary the maximum is two metres. Anything taller needs planning permission.

That is the whole of the basic rule. Most back-garden fences between neighbours can go up to two metres. Most front-garden fences beside the pavement are limited to one.

Corner plots and front gardens on new estates

Corner plots catch people out. A side garden running along a street is next to a highway, so the one-metre limit applies there even though it feels like a back garden. If you want privacy along that side, a hedge or a fence set back behind planting may be the answer, or a planning application for a taller fence.

Many newer estates were designed as open-plan fronts. When the developer got planning permission, the council may have added a condition removing permitted development rights for front boundaries. The deeds can also carry restrictive covenants. Check both before putting up anything at the front, even a low picket fence.

Once you know your heights, Newcastle Fencing Suppliers sells fencing for Newcastle gardens and can fit it if you would rather not, while Tyne Fencing quotes for fence fitting around the Tyne.

When the usual rights do not apply

Listed buildings need listed building consent for most boundary changes. Councils can also issue an Article 4 Direction that removes some permitted development rights in an area. These are often used in conservation areas, and the region has plenty, including parts of Jesmond, Gosforth and Tynemouth. If your home is in one, ask the council before you start.

Trellis fixed to the top of a fence is usually counted as part of the fence when the height is measured, so a 1.8 metre panel with 300 mm of trellis on top reaches the two-metre limit.

Hedges, neighbours and wildlife

Hedges are not fences, so these height limits do not apply to them. Councils can, however, deal with complaints about high evergreen hedges under separate high hedges rules, so a tall leylandii screen is not a way round the limit. For tree and hedge work near a boundary, talk to a qualified tree surgeon.

Before a new fence goes up, it is worth talking to your neighbour, and checking your deeds for which boundaries are yours to maintain. Our guide to fence costs covers what the job involves.

Finally, a solid fence can cut off hedgehogs, which travel between gardens at night. Hedgehog charities commonly suggest leaving a gap about 13 cm square at the base so they can pass through. The Northumbrian Hedgehog Rescue Trust works across the county.