Fast growing shrub

[justaweeone]

My neighbours have put up a new and hideous fence as well as cutting down some mature bushes on their side. It looks so bare so I want to plant something cheap, fast growing, tallish that is bushy and green all year round to hide the fence . As you can probably tell by my wording I'm not a gardener so please can I have some suggestions.

Bamboo?

Thanks Purple
Is there a certain type that's best?

If you decide on Bamboo, don’t plant it in the ground, it spreads like mad and you’ll find it difficult to control. It’s best to put it in a planter.
There are some lovely varieties of Laurel which grow quite quickly, some have variegated leaves, flowers and berries.
Another fast growing plant is the Pheasant Berry, Leycesteria Formosa.
I’d use the opportunity to plant a variety of shrubs. Escallonia is another plant with some varieties.

Bee
Do you know what type of laurel?

Cherry Laurel is the most common, fast growing, but easily pruned.Portuguese Laurel has more slender leaves, but spotted Laurel known as Aucuba is more interesting and has red berries in the winter.
All are quite cheap for a decent size plant.

Portuguese Laurel (Prunus Lusitancia) .We replaced our ugly conifers with this ,it grows really quick into a really natural looking hedge with lovely white flowers in May.

Just an add on, I grow two types of Clematis through my Laurel hedge giving different flowers in early spring and summer. Then they all get a haircut!

I would go with some sort of laurel hedge as suggested. From the photo it seems that the houses are period (?) so I don't think bamboo would give much sympathy to the landscape/area.

Belfast
Yes the majority are and ours is a converted Wesleyan Chapel so a valid point
When do have laurel on the other side of the house but it seemed to take ages to grow