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Gardening

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Original poster

Neighbour wants to put up a fence

15 replies

GoinSouth · 03/04/2023 19:30

We live in a terraced property. Currently we have a wide hedge, not quite sure what it is, possibly euonymous, and about 4ft separating us and the neighbours. we bought some electric shears ready to start pruning it, and the brambles poking through, and the neighbour one afternoon said they were thinking of replacing the hedge with fencing.

I'm not averse to this at all, in fact it would give slightly more garden and require no pruning. My only concern is the size of fence they'll want as the hedge already casts a shadow in the afternoon and, as new owners of the property, we haven't yet decided what to do with the garden but know that we'll have one side that's going to be very shaded. If they want a 6ft fence then that's going to cast an even longer shadow on our garden. Do I have a right to ask them not to put up one that's so high if it's going to block even more light from the garden?

To come: with a new garden it needs new ideas - will post another question in the near future for those that enjoy garden planning to help me plan my very modest town garden :-)

OP posts:

bumbledeedum · 03/04/2023 19:56

Except for some pretty limited exceptions, you can't stop them putting a fence up to 2 meters tall on their property. You can talk to them about it and ask they consider not doing so if you think it's going to limit your light.

crackfoxy · 03/04/2023 20:32

Maybe offer to pay half then you can hopefully have a say in the height.

yogacushions · 03/04/2023 20:34

Don’t move the hedge yet ! There will be birds nesting in it

do it in the winter

CarrotCakeMuffins · 03/04/2023 20:35

Bear in mind that it is now nesting season so they may not be able to remove the hedge until after (September ish?) if there are any birds nesting in it.

Skybyrd · 03/04/2023 20:39

Is it the back garden or the front one? Rules about fence height are usually different between the back and the front of a house.

If it's the back garden and they do want a 2m fence, maybe discuss having a fence with a section of trellis at the top of the panels and also talk about painting the fence a lighter colour on your side. As a PP said, you'll have more options if you share the cost of the fence with them.

MobilityCat · 03/04/2023 20:55

So good fences don't make good neighbours?

Fleurty · 03/04/2023 21:03

As someone who has a 4ft fence with my neighbour, I dream of them wanting a 6ft fence. The garden has no privacy with low fences and I can't pop out there without her appearing for a chat. Sometimes you just want to be in your garden without awkwardly half sharing it with almost-strangers.

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 04/04/2023 16:20

Isn’t it illegal to cut hedges down this time of year because of nesting birds? I would talk to them.

Paddingtonthebear · 04/04/2023 16:25

I think a hedge is a shared boundary? So they can trim their side but not yours and vice versa? We have a hedge with no fence to the left and it’s our boundary. I like it because of the privacy and I guess our neighbours do too. The fence to the right of our garden belongs to our other neighbour and it is very low. Their kids are nosy and noisy so I wish they would built a bigger one but no one has high fences in the whole row.

CombatBarbie · 04/04/2023 16:32

You can't do anything now til autumn due to nesting season, in Scotland its an actual offence under wildlife law so expect rest of UK is same.

Who owns the boundary?

Pringleface · 04/04/2023 16:35

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 04/04/2023 16:20

Isn’t it illegal to cut hedges down this time of year because of nesting birds? I would talk to them.

It’s only illegal if they know there are birds nesting.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-for-wildlife/plants-for-wildlife/garden-hedges/hedge-law/

ExtremelyDetermined · 04/04/2023 16:52

Our neighbours did this, it is annoying because of the shade but their choice and it was better than the leylandii hedge that was there before, we do get more garden but can't grow much there. By agreement on the other side we have a 4'6" fence which is much better, you can chat over it if you want and we do occasionally, but if you are sitting or working in the garden it is completely private. Talk to them about it maybe there will be a compromise.

starfishmummy · 04/04/2023 17:08

Check your deeds. There may be cove nants about the height of fences. We are in a 1912 terrace and there are, also different for front and back. Ours is 5ft at the back

MereDintofPandiculation · 04/04/2023 19:01

CombatBarbie · 04/04/2023 16:32

You can't do anything now til autumn due to nesting season, in Scotland its an actual offence under wildlife law so expect rest of UK is same.

Who owns the boundary?

England: Illegal to recklessly or deliberately disturb nesting birds, so you can cut, but you need to check really well for nests. It’s not a defence to say “I didn’t realise it was there” - the “recklessly” bit covers that.

Original poster

GoinSouth · 05/04/2023 17:44

Yes we will share costs, no, they won't be doing this until after the summer. I'll have to check the deeds. Thanks all.

OP posts:

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