How high can a garden wall between two houses be?

[M. Farlow]

Actually, it's not exactly a garden wall. I live in a terraced house. On the front of each house is a parking space (on the property, behind the pavement) The wall I want to build is between my parking space and the next-door neighbour's parking space. I want to make the wall as high as legally possible, because he has an excessively noisy car whose noise I want to deflect as much as possible. Ok, yes, the wall will be a form of 'subtle hint' but it should prove quite effective too - and it'll stop him taking shortcuts over my parking space to reach his own.. he he...

Mike F

[Mike Taylor]

If the wall is between 2 private pieces of ground, i.e, yours and your neighbours land then it can be up to 2 metres high. If it borders onto the highway (this includes footpaths and public right of way areas such as grassed areas and common land then it can only be 1 metre high. If though it is between yours and your neighbours but borders onto a public access/highway then the area onto the public section can only be 1 metre high so a front garden wall will for some of its length at least require permission for it to be over 1 metre. Speak to your local planning/building control to check accurately what is required

[Chris Vowles]

I wondered why many fences at the front of houses start high and go low near the pavement ________ \ \ \___ | | |

[Hiram Hackenbacker]

Except it seems when your back garden borders a public footpath/highway. As we live on a corner, the fence along the rear of the property is 1.8metres high at the moment - we have been told that this can increase to 2metres maximum in the future when we reconstruct it.

[BigWallop]

Hi Mike,

If the wall is to form the boundary between the two properties, albeit mostly on your side of the boundary, then you'll need your neighbours permission on a signed proposal paper before you're allowed to build anything. Have a look at the title deeds act. It says, in short, that the wall would become the boundary formation and any dispute over its position will have to be dealt with before any changes to the formed boundary are made.

This is why you have get the neighbour to signed a paper that says they agree to the changes and then they can't dispute it afterwards against any deed of title to the land. I suppose it's a bit like signing a treaty over a countries borders. :-)) Just make sure he's not the warring kind.

[Jake]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies.

The wall I plan to build is only about 6ft long, and will be on my side of the boundary (just). The side of the wall facing my neighbour's land will be exactly the boundary line. The wall will be entirely on my property (just). Do you still think I need my neighbour's permission to build it?

my house _____________________| - - - - - - - - - -

[Jake]

PS

Excuse my jokey signature; it wasn't meant to be read as part of the previous message!

Mike .

"If I don't reply to your reply, it doesn't mean you have won the argument; it means I have better things to do with my time"...anon

[Bob Eager]

That was me!

That's right. This link was posted, and is useful. Also search on Google Groups for the phrase "Party wall query".

[Jake]

with the local planning dept anyway, as you suggested.

Jake

[BigWallop]

Thanks for that Bob, I searched through the postings and couldn't find who it was. :-))