Neighbour wants to replace MY fence, I don’t want them to!

[Fencewoes]

We have recently had new neighbours move in next door. A month ago they said that they would like to replace all of the fences around their garden (sides and back) which includes replacing mine. They said they will pay for this as they want their garden to look uniform. At first I was on board with this, actually quite pleased at the thought of having a brand new fence as mine is quite old, however they have now said they will be replacing my current 4ft fence with a 6ft fence instead.

I have told them I do not want them to replace my fence with anything higher than 4 ft. They’ve now said that in that case, instead of replacing my fence, they will just build another fence against mine in their garden. So basically, I will retain my current fence, then there will be another in their garden, but I will have double fences on my side! Is this even allowed?

They can't touch your fence but they can put their own up next to it own their land - up to 2 m - 6ft and trellis.

They may have reasons for wanting a secure the garden like dogs.

I always thought it odd my parents objection to next door putting in a 6ft fence along boundary from previous 4 ft as they'd grown massive plants for privacy for years along same boundary - Mum cited light level - but they rapidly got used to it and with the neighbour kids and their noise were actually in end pleased with it.

A "community feel" you say? Is that code for 'the whole street is a bunch of nosey fuckers'?

Who wouldn't accept a brand new 6ft fence? Fences are expensive and it won't hurt the aesthetic or value of your property.

Why didn't you have the conifers removed and erect a 6ft fence on your side, when they refused,@ticktock19 ?

Absolutely yes they can do this.

You will have a view of a six foot fence regardless, so now you just have to choose if it will replace your own or be fitted behind it.

They want the fences sorted while they're still new to the road. If they waited a while then you'd think it was something personal. Your choice really - brand new 6' fence or old 4' fence with brand new one behind it (would the gap fill up with old birds' nests/coke cans/dead pigeons??).

If you look at it from their perspective, they want a 6ft fence and are going to have it on three sides of their property, and it would look very odd if the fourth side had a 4ft fence on it. It makes much more sense for them to have the same height of fence all the way around. The 6ft fence on three sides will mean that you can't look across to the neighbours the way you used to anyway. It would just mean that you would be able to see into their back garden, and surely you can understand that they don't want that (which is why they are building a 6ft fence). So while I understand that change is sometimes hard, especially when we were happy with things as they were, your neighbours are not bullying you by putting up the fence they want on their property, and you are going to have to accept that when new people move in, the neighbourhood changes, whether you like it or not.

Yes they can do that.

I came from a area that had 6 ft fences to a place that everywhere is 4 ft fences the first summer we spent here I felt extremely exposed to my neighbours and barely used the garden.
the very next spring we immediately put up 6 foot fences.

They want a bigger fence, they've offered you the option of a new one.

thats not bullying

Their garden is a part of their home, so why wouldn't they want to have it planned, set out and with the appearance of their choice?

They might want their living room walls painted duck-egg blue, a bright green Shaker-style kitchen and minimalist white bathroom; why ever should they just want to put up with however their garden already happened to look and not change it to suit their taste, requirements and planned usage?

It's what I would do, good fences make good neighbours and a 4ft one wouldn't be for me.

I would say no too, assuming the rest of your fences are 4ft. They want uniform fences, but that then leaves you with unmatching ones.

I'd say that's fine re them having their own fence. They might just be calling your bluff and hoping you'll back down. Even if they aren't, they're the ones that will be losing width in their garden 🤷🏻‍♀️

Have you suggested a compromise of a 4ft fence + 2ft trellis?

@MalcolmTuckersSwearBox it was just lack of finances at the time - first house and lots to buy. There are the concrete footings in already on their side and as I say our gardens are small so we just offered to get new panels to slide in. We hadn't got the money to take the trees out and fit a new fence. Now though, when they leave then the panels are being replaced and the conifers will come down.

Free fence offering perfectly nice and reasonable CFers!!!!!

My idea of hell! 6ft for me!

They are perfectly allowed to do this on their own land and within the height restrictions (which I believe is 6ft).

Yes it will look very odd from your side so you will better off putting your energy into negotiating with them (perhaps suggest 5ft instead of 6ft, or 4ft with a trellis) so that you are meeting in the middle plus you get a new fence.

If everyone has 4' fences, it may be worth checking your deeds to see if there is a restriction on fence heights. It's unusual for every fence to only be 4'. It's also unusual for covenants or restrictions to exist, but they do sometimes.

Leave them to it, they don’t sound neighbourly anyway!

We were the 1st to break the 4 foot rule in our old house. Within weeks loads copied

When house hunting I came across a couple of houses with four foot wire fences - I took into account the costs of installing 6 foot wooden fences and the loss of any garden if I needed to install in front of the neighbours fence.

A pair of neighbours near me argued over a fence and tragically it ended in murder - be careful!

A “community feel” in your own back garden means gossiping over the fence and having your nose in everyone’s business. They don’t want to see you when they use their private space. You clearly want to see them though!

Bloody hell. That takes fence wars to the next level.

There's no way they're going to want lovely new matching fences around three sides and then a random short one with trellis on top along the other side.

Plus, if it's going to be an open, non-privacy-driven trellis, what's the point of it as a 'compromise'; and if it will be all covered with greenery and opaque, how is it practically different from a 6ft fence?

We’ve got 5ft brick walls – lovely, old, charming. Still can’t wait to top them with trellis and plants: dreaming of pleached hornbeam but the budget says trellis and wait for a sale on David Austin. I want to be cocooned in my garden, not have a community feel. The community feel is at the front, where it should be. In my garden I want to pretend I’m not in a terrace backing up against another terrace, I’m actually in my country manse. A 4ft fence makes me think of tiny primary school loos.

Though the answer may vary from one authority to another, the maximum fence height allowed without planning permission is two metres (6'6”).

https://barnardfencing.co.uk/how-high-can-my-fence-be/#:~:text=Though%20the%20answer%20may%20vary,(6'6%E2%80%9D).

That's back garden - different rules for front but it is normally 2 m - so 6ft and trellis on top.

It is possible that there's something on the deeds as PP says - though house we've owned have never had this.

Yes it will look very odd from your side so you will better off putting your energy into negotiating with them (perhaps suggest 5ft instead of 6ft, or 4ft with a trellis) so that you are meeting in the middle plus you get a new fence.

But they aren't offering to pay for a new fence just because they think it would be a kind gesture for their neighbour to have a shiny new one; the current fence doesn't meet their requirements, so they've specifically identified it (and budgeted for it) to be replaced with something that does!