How to enclose front garden/ driveway?

[VelvetSpoon]

After an 'altercation' with my neighbours at the weekend I'm reviewing my home security.

One of the issues with my neighbours is that their kids are constantly in my front garden, and sitting/ climbing on/ drawing on my wall. They object to me asking the kids to stop/ keep off the wall or out of the garden.

It's not their garden, it's annoying and I'm concerned that my car may get damaged either by the kids or since last weekend's events by the neighbours. So I'm trying to work out how to stop it.

At the moment the front garden/ driveway (its all paved) is enclosed on one side (nice neighbour) with a 3ish ft wall and a hedge. On the annoying neighbour side, it's just the wall. Their driveway is raised above mine so the wall is perfect height for their kids to climb on.

Our frontage is about 35ft across. Half is a continuation of the wall. The other half is currently open - so we can drive in easily.

Hope that explains it. I can do a diagram if that would help?

I'm thinking of getting railings added to the top of the wall. And installing gates across the driveway entrance.

It does feel a bit of a statement though, most of the street has much smaller front space and therefore has it totally open, but given all that's gone on I feel the need to castellate

Any ideas or suggestions?

The gates sound a good idea but is the wall definitely yours and not the neighbours?

Yes definitely our wall, we built the retaining wall on 3 sides when we had the driveway done.

They object to you telling their kids not to climb on the wall or go into your garden? What arseholes. I’d be tempted to plant tall, prickly shrubs right up against the wall like pyracantha and berberis or extend the wall with pillars so you can put fence panels up. I suspect they will still climb up with railings there, unless they are set far enough back that they can’t get a foot hold on top of the original wall.

Am thinking of positioning the railing closer to their side. Or having one with bloody great spikes on the top.

Am wondering about the gate. It will be a real faff to open/close as I live on a moderately busy road (plus I'll need to lock it otherwise it's no deterrent to them coming in). Are electric gates hideously expensive does anyone know?

You will need planning permission for anything over 1m adjoining the highway so that may be something to consider.