Planning permission is required to construct a garden wall if:
The same rules apply to fences and gates.
If you are unsure whether planning permission is required you should check with your local planning authority; if you carry out unauthorised work, you will be breaking the law and may be required to demolish the wall.
Planning permission will be required to increase the height of an existing wall if one or more of the situations set out above apply.
Planning permission is not required to take down an existing wall, fence or gate, or to alter, maintain or improve an existing fence, wall or gate (no matter how high) if you don’t increase its height. However, it may be necessary to obtain consent for the removal of the wall if it is in a conservation area.
An application for planning permission can be made online via the Planning Portal website. Alternatively it can be made by completing and sending a paper application form to your local planning authority.
Sometimes covenants are placed in title documents (deeds) preventing or restricting the construction of walls or requiring a person to maintain a wall. You should, therefore, check that your deeds do not contain any such provisions before carrying out any work.
It is not necessary to obtain building regulation approval to construct a garden wall. However, it is important to ensure the wall is built and maintained properly to ensure there is no risk that it will damage the property of another or injure a person.
If the wall is a ‘party fence wall’ for the purposes of the Party Walls etc Act 1996, it may be necessary to notify the owner of the neighbouring property of any work proposed before it is carried out.
Nicola is a dual qualified journalist and non-practising solicitor. She is a legal journalist, editor and author with more than 20 years' experience writing about the law.
When you submit your details, you'll be in safe hands. Our partners are National Accident Helpline (a brand of National Accident Law, a firm of personal injury solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority). They are the UK's leading personal injury service. Their friendly legal services advisers will call you to talk about your claim and give you free, no-obligation advice. National Accident Law may pay us a marketing fee for our services.
By submitting your personal data, you agree for your details to be sent to National Accident Law so they can contact you to discuss your claim.
If you win your case, your solicitor's success fee will be taken from the compensation you are awarded - up to a maximum of 25%. Your solicitor will discuss any fees before starting your case.