Legal requirements for business fencing?

misssarahleigh

I have moved in to a property and our back garden wall ajoins to the courtyard of a bakers. The wall is deeper on my side than it is theirs (about a meter but only 1/4 of a meter on their side)

A make shift fence has been errected, but this is badley damaged due to the bakers leaning a large amount of scrap metal (the oweners sideline) on the fence as it was built from my side of the wall.

My mother asked them to move the items which he started to do. The same day my doggy caught a rat. We have a strong suspicion in moving their junk they may have desturbed a nest.

My question is (and apologies if it's on the wrong board) but are their any legal guidlines requiring businesses to fence around their property? Approaching the owner and coming to an agreement about splitting the cost of a new fence is unlikley as he's renowned for being very tight! Should we have to pay fully for a new fence and they begin leaning their stuff on it again i will document this in case it becomes damaged, but on the off change that there is something within buinsess law that requires them in some way to maintain a boundry i thought it worth an ask.

phill99

I'm not convinced that there is any requirement for a business to have any fence. However, I think your best bet is to talk to the Environmental Health Dept at your local council. If there are rats hiding in his scrap collection, thiS can be classed as a nuisance. And the fact that it is a Bakers premises, I'm sure thay would investigate.

misssarahleigh

I cannot prove the rat came from there only think so. If i go running to enviromental health it will be very obvious who made the call and they can probably be far more awkward to me than i can to them. And i do believe the manager could be rather petty.

Having said that i have decided to have a good snoop around one night to see if i can spot anything suspicious

phill99

There will be nothing to link you to this call. As it is food premises, EH make routine visits so it would be put down as one of those.

And all you need to say that as a customer, you were not impressed by the cleanliness of the shop. They will soon investigate and there will be nothing to link you to the call.

iamcornholio

There is no requirement for a business or individual to erect a fence or anything similar around their property

There is a requirement for landowners to prevent things from escaping from their property (eg livestock, materials, earth and suchlike) but how that is done is up to the landowner - but he would have no duty to stop rats getting out!

misssarahleigh

I don't expect him to stop the rats (But it would be nice if they didn't have them)

27col

Lots of businesses have no fencing at all, so it seems unlikely that there is any legal requirements specifying business fencing. They are more likely to have fencing purely for their own security. It is also difficult to visualise any fencing that might be rat proof.