PL/22/2996/FA REFUSED: Boundary Wall and Fence

The Uplands, Gerrards Cross | Chiltern and South Bucks, Buckinghamshire Council

Planning refusal of Boundary Wall and Fence, already constructed without formal planning consent.

Read full planning application here.

This is a very typical case, the applicants have constructed some boundary walls and fences, probably thinking that planning permission is not required, as there are a series of similar examples in the vicinity.

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There are a few issues here. One is that you can’t erect a front boundary on the edge of the highway taller than 1m high under permitted development rules and that means that the brick piers need planning permission. On this basis the highways authority are likely to object on the basis of visibility and highway safety, you need to be able to see a safe distance in each direction when exiting the driveway in a car, for pedestrians and vehicles alike, this is very difficult to argue against and overcome.  

The second issue is the neighbourhood generally has a pretty open aspect to the front of the majority of properties and the planners consider this to be part of the character and the setting. It doesn’t help that this is a retrospective application, it puts the applicant on the back foot and if it goes to appeal. We would not be surprised if the appeal inspector agrees with the planning decision. 

The best way forward would be to discuss the issues with the planning officer and see if there is a compromise that they will support, and this should include presenting ideas on what could be achieved under Permitted Development rights, for instance in this case a taller wall might be allowed without the need for planning permission but set back from the highway boundary, which the planners might resist but agree that a few changes to the existing configuration would be less harmful to the character.  

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