No hedges or fences

Rachel-_2

Does anyone know the reason that all the properties in some estates do not have a fence or hedge in the front garden? Is it just personal preference or is there some rule that means they have to leave their front gardens openplan? These would be freehold properties.

LEJC

some new build properties are not able to define gardens with boundries...Ive not lived in a property like this but in the past I have read local news articles about householders who have been told to remove walls etc as they do not comply with the open plan aspects of the area.

Guest101

Just more busy bodies telling people what they can and cant do on their own land.

~Beanie~

The builders put restrictive covenants into the deeds, specifying that no walls/fences/hedges are to be erected. Its usually to try and keep an 'open-plan' feel to the development.

G_M

Guest101 wrote: »

Just more busy bodies telling people what they can and cant do on their own land.

Your opinion is valid, but unhelpful.

It is likely there is a covenant in place prohibiting the erection of fences/hedges.

This would usually be between the original Developer and the original purchaser of each property, but would bind their successors in title.

It may limit the height of fence, restrict the colour of paint used, or bedefinedin someother way.

mrsmchapman

We have this with a property we are buying and it states in the original documents that a covenant is in place and no walls or hedges are allowed.

Mojisola

Rachel- wrote: »

Does anyone know the reason that all the properties in some estates do not have a fence or hedge in the front garden? Is it just personal preference or is there some rule that means they have to leave their front gardens openplan? These would be freehold properties.

Guest101 wrote: »

Just more busy bodies telling people what they can and cant do on their own land.

Some estates are designed as open plan and the houses will have covenants specifying what isn't allowed. If the potential buyers don't like those rules, they shouldn't buy houses there.

Some areas have other conditions like not parking caravans or works vehicles on drives or even not hanging washing out in the garden!

TeamLowe

OP in my parent's case (new build) they was told it was due to services being close to the boundary but not sure if that's technically the case. They were also told that they have to keep the tree that was planted next to the drive, presumably for uniformity across the estate. it has got a nice blossom though!

ETA: their street was also built six foot too narrow, so walls/fences definitely wouldn't help! another reason not to buy offplan....

ognum

There was an interesting documentary this year about LA planning departments.

One case they looked out was a neighbour on an estate with no fence covenants who went to planning when a front fence was erected. As far as I can remember the planning department were unable to prevent the erection of the fence and more was anyone else!

G_M

ognum wrote: »

There was an interesting documentary this year about LA planning departments.

One case they looked out was a neighbour on an estate with no fence covenants who went to planning when a front fence was erected. As far as I can remember the planning department were unable to prevent the erection of the fence and more was anyone else!

Certainly aplanning department cannot enforce such a covenant.

It is not Planning law that restricts the fence/hedge use - it is the contract/agreement bewteen the two parties involved.

So only the other party involved (usually as I said, the Developer or his successors in Title) can enforce.

The neighbors can't either.

So a lot dependson whether the Developer cares....

In some cases, the Developer appoints a management company (eg to maintain communal lawns/gardens) and they may have enforcement rights.

ca55ie

All the houses on my estate (built in1983) have restrictive covenants that prohibit hedges or fences forward of the front of the house. Now, 30 years later, many of the gardens have hedges of various types and sizes. I assume all is ok until someone complains.