Permitted development - fence alterations

[SecretSeven]

Hello

I have a neighbour who is hard work. She was friendly for about a month, but after that has only ever spoken to us to complain about:

1. Letting the grass get too long.
   
2. Painting the fence with shed treatment that left marks on her clothes (about a month after we painted it).
   
3. Us owning a parking space off the road and her not owning a parking space off the road. Really.
   

I have a 4ft high open rail type fence between our gardens, nowhere near a public highway. It has an open section, which she can walk through into our garden. There is nothing in our deeds that says anyone has a right to do this other than us.

My plan is to:

1. Put wood in the section she can currently walk through.
   
2. Put chicken wire over the fence between the existing wooden posts to their current height of 1.1 metres.
   
3. Raise the current posts and run a piece of wire between the tops at 1.8 metres.
   

The plan is then to train roses and honeysuckle up the wire. It will look nice eventually, but probably not for a couple of years.

I don't see how we could have a constructive dialogue about this. I just want to know if I can do the work without her complaining to the council and forcing me to take it all down.

[AveEldon]

Is the fence at the rear of the property or front?
Why not just put a new 6ft wood panelled fence up?

[SecretSeven]

It's at the rear.

I don't a standard fence panel would work. It's very exposed up here; no fence panel would stay up unless I concreted it.

Besides which, the open rail stuff is really, really good quality and in great condition.

[AveEldon]

I believe you can fence up to 6ft at the rear without any planning issues so your plan to close it off sounds good
Would trellis work between the posts?

[SecretSeven]

DP gets pattern blindness. Looking at trellis gives her headaches.

That sounds silly, but it is a real problem for her.

[SecretSeven]

Thanks for the advice, by the way. :-)

[wowfudge]

Very difficult to imagine without photos or a plan, but are you absolutely certain the neighbour has no right of way or access? Do check a copy of her title register before you act. Our drive is a shared access although we own it - this is detailed in the title register for next door although ours states it is subject to the rights in the conveyance of x date to our neighbours.

I only say this as you don't want to open a can of worms by doing what you propose.