Retaining wall and planning advice

abomb1969

I want to increase the security of my house by installing a driveway gate and wall. The front boundary of my house is adjacent to a highway. Photos can be found at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/84654056@N00/

I seem to have 2 options:

This is off https://www.odpm.gov.uk - planning permission is needed where "the fence, wall or gate would be over 1 metre high and next to a highway used for vehicles; or over 2 metres high elsewhere". It is not clear if "elsewhere" means another boundary wall/fence or elsewhere on the property.

Would wrought iron railings on top of a 1m brick wall adjacent to the highway require pp? I understand that removable items (bolted down) do not, but anything concreted in will.

Would gates over 1m require planning permission even if they were wrought iron so as not to cause a highway danger when they opened (inwards not over the highway). I could bolt the posts to the wall rather than concreting them in.

Alternatively I could set the wall and gate further into my property, I found this on a council's website:

"When a retaining wall is to be constructed within four yards (approximately 3.65 metres) of a street, and is at least 4 feet 6 inches (approximately 1.37 metres) high, then the erection of such a wall can be controlled by S.167 of the Highways Act 1980. It may also require Planning Permission unless it is Permitted Development.

I suspect that as this set back wall (behind the building line and about 4m from the highway) is going to be 6' it will be permitted development as it is sited "elsewhere" than adjacent to the highway.

I have already opened a dialogue with the local planners, but it seems they want me to apply for permission for any changes I make rather than offer me advice as to what would be accepted.

Any comments most appreciated, I hope this makes sense.

trafalgar_2

'elsewhere' means not on the front of the property.........the front being the bit facing the the street,so the side or the back is what it stands for.

We did some looking into planning permission as regard fence on the top of a wall by means of getting around the permission needed ,unfortunately anything that brings the height up above 1m (at the front/2m elsewhere)counts even if it's not part of the wall as such and gates above 1 m need permission too ..........sorry

abomb1969

Further googling reveals that 2m from the highway/pavement seems to be the norm before you can increase the height from 1m to 2m, although a couple of councils have a 1.3m distance.

It would seem that a wall set back from the highway is the best way forward and as suggested I will contact my council in writing now and ask them to clarify their interpretation of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's guidance for this. Any further comments appreciated of course, and thanks for the recent replies.