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Fences, gates and garden walls and planning permission

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Fences, gates and garden walls and planning permission

You can use our new tool to check if your project needs planning permission.

Erecting or adding to a fence, gate or wall

If your property is a flat you must apply for full planning permission.

If your property is a house you must apply for householder planning permission.

That is if any of the below apply:

  • it would be over 1m high and next to a highway used by vehicles. Or be over 2m high and sited elsewhere, such as a back garden
  • an existing wall over 1m high being rebuilt higher than its original height. This is when next to a highway used by vehicles
  • an existing wall over 2m high being rebuilt higher than its original height. This is when sited elsewhere, such as a back garden
  • it is at the front of your house or the side if seen from the street. This is if the property is covered by an Article 4 Direction
  • your house or flat is a listed building
  • the fence, gate, wall or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage.

Demolishing an existing garden fence, gate or wall

If your property is a flat you must apply for full planning permission.

If your property is a house you must apply for householder planning permission.

That is if any of the below apply:

  • the fence, gate or wall to be demolished is one or more of these:
    • in a conservation area
    • over 1m high and located next to a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath of such a highway
    • is over 2m high and located elsewhere.

If your house or flat is a listed building, or part of, you must also apply for listed building consent. This is to erect a new, add to or demolish a fence, gate or garden wall.

More information

The fences, gates and garden walls section of the national planning portal has more guidance and useful information.

If you need permission, you get find information on the design of boundary walls here:

Can I get confirmation that I do not need planning permission?

Apply for a Lawful Development Certificate to prove that a proposed fence, gate or garden wall is lawful. This is both for existing and proposed items.

Am I likely to get planning permission?

To find out whether your proposal is likely to be accepted, you can apply for pre-planning application advice.

How do I apply?

You can apply via the national planning portal. To find out what information is required with your application, see making a planning application.

Still not sure whether you need planning permission?

For more advice about whether you need planning permission, contact planning advice and information.