People with garden fence could be 'breaking law' due to little-known height rule

People who have a garden have been warned they need to take action to keep "nosy neighbours" at bay. Gardening experts say people can use a "most effective" privacy solution to keep nosy neighbours from encroaching onto their properties.

Garden experts from Garden Buildings Direct have shared five ways to add privacy to your garden. A spokesperson for Garden Buildings Direct said: “We know lack of privacy is a problem many people face in their gardens.

“With the weather starting to warm up and families planning to spend more time outside in the spring and summer months, now is the perfect time to find your solution. You could look at extending your fence height, although you will need planning permission for any fences higher than two metres.

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"Other options include planting privacy hedges or evergreen trees and adding perennial borders around seating areas or patios.” You can build or create your fence up to any height even more than 2 meters but you will have to get planning permission by the relevant UK authorities at your local land registry offices. Without their permission, you are only allowed a fence up to 6'6”.

The gardening experts have said shrubs and small trees are the "perfect option" for creating privacy hedging. Other things to bear in mind are increasing your hedge height which is one of the "most effective ways" to create privacy in the garden. But the maximum height for a fence without needing to take out any sort of planning permission is two metres.

Any taller than this and you will need to apply for the necessary permissions. For extra privacy, people can use perennial borders and also add trees. The experts said: "If you are thinking of adding large trees into your garden to help with privacy, consider what sort of tree will work best for you.

"If you only want privacy during the summer months, deciduous trees work best. Evergreens will help create a private garden space all year round but will cast deeper shade on your garden and may block out much of the sun during the warmer months."