Front Garden Fence Query

[Henrietta]

Hi
Glad I have found this site as I have a question for all you experts on garden fences please.
I will try to describe my garden although it is probably hard to visualise without a photo but here goes.
I live on a road where we are fortunate enough to have council bushes between our front garden and the road so my front gate is probably about 15 feet from the road with bushes outside on both sides of the access. My front hedge is privet and about 6 feet high.
I have a long front garden and along one side of it runs another whole property so their front garden, bungalow and back garden run parallel to my front garden. They have 2 windows on my side of their bungalow which look out directly into my front garden about 3 feet from my fence .
The border between our properties is mine and I currently have a six foot fence running along ¾ of their back garden then a five foot fence as far as their bungalow. All along the side of their bungalow and their front garden I have a short 3 foot fence. It then meets my 6 foot front hedge and their 3 feet front fence in front of which are the 6 foot council bushes.
Hope I haven’t lost you yet.
Now for the question- what rights do I have in terms on my front fence? Can I extend the 6 or even the 5 foot fence along the side of their bungalow, and or even down to the front hedge?
Not sure I want to do this but just wondering what my rights are legaly?

[despair]

Technically you could have a 5ft or 6ft fence the entire length
What rooms do the windows of the bungalow serve ?
Because if they are a lounge or other habitable room as opposed to bathroom or toilet or maybe a bedroom
The windows may possibly have aquired a right to light
I doubt that a 5ft or 6ft fence 3 ft away would actually block light but you need to be aware there might be questions raised

[Henrietta]

Interesting- thank you. The rooms are a bathroom with frosted glass and a bedroom. The bedroom window was originally there (before my house was built hence the strange arrangement) but then blocked in. The new owners put it back in -without planning permission but then planning permission was never obtained to block it up in the first place . Perhaps it is nearer 2 feet than 3.
The man who lives there will be thick as thieves with local planning department.

[despair]

Do not think theres anyway he can claim right to light then

[jonahinoz]

Hi,

My understanding is that if there is a right to light, the entitlement is for sufficient light, and less light may be considered sufficient.

I don't follow your description, but I believe that walls/fences within two metres of a road boundary are restricted to one metre high ... unless you obtain PP to have higher walls/fences. I don't know if that affects you.

John W

[Henrietta]

Hi John
We are well over 2 m from the road, probably over 2m before even the start of the pavement.

[despair]

Why not add 2 ft trellis to your fences and grow hybrid clematis (only £1.79 in morrisons ) plus jasmine even the tiny green and white ivy
that way you wont block light immediately but will gain privacy

Wickes do a nice privacy trellis diamond style and its on special currently

[arborlad]

Now for the question- what rights do I have in terms on my front fence? Can I extend the 6 or even the 5 foot fence along the side of their bungalow, and or even down to the front hedge?
Not sure I want to do this but just wondering what my rights are legaly?

Boundary features adjacent to highways must no more than 1m, elsewhere up to 2m without planning permission. Highway includes footways and verges, adjacent is sometimes interpreted as within 2m but there is no specific distance.

[jonahinoz]

Hi,

The LA may declare, and DVLA will declare, that the highway extends up to the hedge.

John W

[mugwump]

Hi,

The LA may declare, and DVLA will declare, that the highway extends up to the hedge.

John W

DVLA wouldn't know a highway if they tripped over it.

Highways and their extent have absolutely nothing to do with DVLA. All they concern themselves with is the correct registartion and paperwork for drivers and vehicles

[Henrietta]

Thanks all- hopefully you can see from the image it is not the boundary with the highway that I am querying but the boundary between my garden and neighbour. A trellis wouldn't really be appropriate on the 3 foot fence and next door already have a sort of trellis type afair on their side above the 5 foot fence (not touching it but about a foot inwards. I don't want climbing things that start spilling their side.

[jonahinoz]

Highways and their extent have absolutely nothing to do with DVLA. All they concern themselves with is the correct registartion and paperwork for drivers and vehicles

Hi Mugwump,

OK nothing to do with this discussion ... but try parking a un-taxed car on the grass verge between your front fence and the tarmac. I had a team of 15 staff collecting "out of court settlements" from VED offenders, or arranging their prosecution. There were another five similar teams. We were kept very busy.

It has been deemed that the highway extends right up to the wall, fence, or hedge. Ask a policeman.

John W

[arborlad]

Thanks all- hopefully you can see from the image it is not the boundary with the highway that I am querying but the boundary between my garden and neighbour.

It could still apply to that boundary, depending on the extent of the highway.