A fence does a lot of quiet work in a Wakefield garden. It marks the line with the neighbours, keeps children and dogs in, gives some privacy from the street, and on an open plot it takes the brunt of the wind. When one starts leaning or a panel blows out, the whole garden feels less secure. Affordable Gardens & Landscapes is a family run, fully insured business based in Knottingley, and we take on fencing jobs across Wakefield for homes and commercial customers.
Terraces, estates and older streets
Wakefield's housing changes from one district to the next, and the fencing questions change with it. Agbrigg is mostly terraced housing that grew in the Victorian era, and a terraced yard tends to be narrow, with boundaries on both sides shared with neighbours. The seven estates the council began after the First World War, Portobello, Lupset, Flanshaw, Plumpton, Peacock, Eastmoor and Kettlethorpe, bring a different set of questions, such as which side of a garden faces a road or footpath and which is shared next door.
Before a fence goes up, three things decide most of it: where the boundary runs, how high the fence needs to be, and what is in the ground. Agreeing the line with your neighbour first saves trouble, especially on a terrace where the same boundary may have been patched by different owners over the years.
The height rules most gardens fall under
The Planning Portal sets out when a fence, wall or gate needs planning permission. In general you do not need permission if the fence is no more than one metre high next to a highway used by vehicles, or no more than two metres high anywhere else. Altering, maintaining, improving or taking down an existing fence is covered in the same way, as long as it stays within those heights, and a fence that is already taller than the limit is not made any higher.
That is why a fence along the front of a house on a road is usually kept low, while the boundary between two back gardens can go higher. If you are unsure which rule applies to which side of your plot, you can talk it through with us when we look at the job, and Wakefield Council's planning team can confirm.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Wakefield has a number of conservation areas in and around the city, including St John's, Wentworth Terrace, South Parade, Wood Street, Upper and Lower Westgate and Sandal Castle. The Planning Portal notes that in a conservation area you might need permission to take down a fence, wall or gate, and the usual allowances do not apply to a listed building or its grounds, or to a boundary shared with a neighbouring listed building. St John's also has an Article 4 direction, which can remove the normal rights to put up or alter fences, walls and gates on the properties it covers.
St John's Square is lined with Grade II listed early 19th century terraces in red brick with stone dressings and wrought-iron railings. On streets with that kind of character it is worth checking with the council before changing any boundary at the front, and choosing something that suits the street rather than fights it.
Choosing a fence for your garden
There is no single right fence. A narrow terraced yard often suits something that does not eat into the space, while a longer garden with an open outlook may suit a lower fence, or one topped with trellis so climbers can soften it. Where a garden catches the wind, sturdy posts and solid fixings matter more than the style of panel. When we visit you can talk through height, look, how much privacy you want, and how the new fence will meet any walls, gates or hedges already there.
What is below ground matters too. Wakefield sits on the middle coal measures and sandstones laid down in the Carboniferous period, and older gardens can hide rubble, old footings or roots along a boundary. Digging the first post hole usually tells you what you are working with.
Fencing alongside the rest of the garden
A new fence is often the moment people look at the rest of the garden. If the old fence line is buried under brambles and ivy, a garden clearance in Wakefield clears the way first. Once the fence is up, a new border, a gravel strip or an Indian stone patio can make the most of it, and our landscaping in Wakefield page covers that side of things.
Asking for a quote
Find out more about our fencing, or see all our services on the Wakefield area page. Then call 07347 572509, Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm. Tell us roughly how long the run is, how high you want it, what is there now and how we get to it, and ask for a quote.
