Adding horizontal panel fence - neighbour issues?

[lechatnoir]

I have a small garden I'm trying to turn from patch of lawn & patio into a fully paved & planted elegant entertaining space . I'm looking to fix a horizontal panel fence along the side adjoining my neighbour and will add some gentle climbers but the fence I want to use is 6ft 6 (so within the permitted height) but this is 6" higher than the existing fence which I'm guessing could be quite unpopular with my neighbour - we both have big patio doors right next to the fence so will be very visible from the house.
What's the protocol here - inform them first and hope they don't object or just get on with it? And will it look really awful for them having a higher fence poking out the top of their existing fence? If it makes any difference they have the 'good' side of the fence which is another reason for wanting to cover it.

Whose fence is it? Obviously you can't just attach something to someone else's property.
Or do you mean add a fence next to the existing fence?
If you wanted to be nice, could you make it nicer, eg a trellis with greenery grown through?

We have something similar with next door, although there’s actually a low wall between the panels and each of our panels is within our own boundary ( and next door is higher)
It’s fine. They age and sort of meld into one colour; things grow and cover them up.
I mentioned it to neighbour before we started; they were fine with it, but that was as much to let them know of the noise the landscaper would make.

@TheSpottedZebra

Whose fence is it? Obviously you can't just attach something to someone else's property. Or do you mean add a fence next to the existing fence? If you wanted to be nice, could you make it nicer, eg a trellis with greenery grown through?

Oh ok hadn't considered this - so I can't just attached a fence my side if the existing one belongs to them (& I assume it does as I have the 'back panels') Bugger. Presumably this is the same for trellis? Photo attached to give you an idea what I mean

I always thought if the posts are on your side then that means you own the fence.

Traditionally the owner would have that side of the fence, but check your deeds.

Looking at that I really can't understand why you'd bother with another piece of fence, do you want to align with the back? Again check your deeds re heights.

Just run wires through loop screws into the uprights and grow climbers up those.

Direction of fence panels does not dictate ownership. I have the nice side of my fence facing my garden because of access issues.

Direction of fence doesn't denote ownership - the owner can choose which way their fence faces. It used to be etiquette that the owner had the post side, but that seems to have disappeared quite some time ago in some places...

You'd need to check your feeds to see whose boundary that is on, and if the fence runs up the boundary. If it's inside their boundary, it might be their fence even if you own that boundary.

If it is their fence, you can't attach anything to it without permission, so you'd need to ask them. I'd second that they'd be far more likely to go for trellis than a higher fence.

Otherwise you could put a fence inside the one that is already there, but you'd lose a bit of garden space, and it might look odd. And it'd probably still create bad feeling with the neighbour if they're not on board.

Just put wires up that fence and train climbers up up.

If you're OK with them ask them if they wouldn't mind you planting climbing plants your side. Takes care of itself then, no painting needed, just pruning . Painting or varnishing is an arse.

Looking at the shadows in your picture, you won't be popular with a higher fence as you'll block the sun.

You could find some wooden troughs/planters or have some made to run along the fence line with planting to hide the fence.

I thought if you got the back of the panels it was your fence

You also can't screw things into the fence if you don't own it. Of course, people do. But if you're annoying your neighbour by 'runing' the fence line and casting more shadow, they might get pissy and say no attaching! In which case you'd be best to ask politely.

But the fence looks new! Have you just moved in, and thus you don't know who paid for it?

@2DogsOnMySofa

I thought if you got the back of the panels it was your fence

No. As was said above, this used to be the convention but wasn't a law/rule. And it is a convention that is dying out.

So you want to add a six inch tall panel to the already existing fence?

Ok so bad idea adding a new panel to existing (new) fence . I'm going to speak to my neighbours who are lovely & see if they're ok with me running some hooks & wires and having climbers in planters.