Planning Permission and Building Regulations Guidance for Steel fencing, Security fencing and Decorative fence solutions.

Planning permission can be a complicated process for even simple applications. As a general guide most development within England and Wales would normally require planning permission unless it’s classed as permitted development. It is important to recognise that some permitted development will still require prior notification to the local planning authority, and would usually require approval for the design of the proposed development.

Paramount Steel Fence has produced this information to aid our clients, specifiers and architects with some general guidance, but it is mainly aimed to assist end users. This information is designed as a guide only and should not be considered as the final resolution in the decision making process of any proposed application or development.

In all circumstances we would recommend that an approach to your local planning authority is made prior to commencement of any fencing development, most authorities will offer guidance over the telephone as to the likely hood of you needing to obtain relevant permissions.

First and foremost we will look at planning permission as a whole. It’s not un-reasonable to conclude that the rules and legislation will be the same from county to county; however this is not necessarily the case. National planning guidance is usually incorporated into a local planning policy, which is then amended to suit the local requirements of each geographical area.

Some counties have more than one planning authority which is usually called your Local Planning Authority, often referred to as an (LPA). These cover different areas or wards within their respective county. It’s important that you approach the right LPA, as legislation may vary slightly from different Local Planning Authorities.

If you are not confident in making an approach to your local planning authority, you could consider using the professional services of a Planning consultant or architect who would act on your behalf.

Where a full planning application is required, Paramount Steel fence can usually assist in your application by providing drawings, images and data sheets on our security fencing products, mesh fencing products and decorative fencing.

You will need to apply for planning permission if you wish to erect or add to a fence, wall or gate and:

a) It would be over 1 metre high and next to a highway used by vehicles (or the footpath of such a highway); or over 2 metres high elsewhere; or
b) Your right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates is removed by an article 4 direction or a planning condition; or
c) Your house or property is a listed building or in the curtilage of a listed building.
d) The fence, wall or gate, or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage.

You will not need to apply for planning permission to take down a fence, wall, 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. In a conservation area, however, you might need planning permission for relevant demolition to take down a fence, wall or gate.

Building Regulations

Fences, walls and gates do not require building regulation approval.
Although building regulations do not apply, the structures must be structurally sound and maintained.

Additional information

Further information can be found on the Government planning portal, www.planningportal.gov.uk

Planning Permission and Building Regulations Guidance for Steel fencing