Fence height rules and who owns which fence

The height limits

You can usually put up a fence, wall or gate without planning permission if it's no higher than 2 metres. Next to a road used by vehicles, or the pavement beside one, the limit drops to 1 metre.

Anything taller needs planning permission. So does any fence around a listed building, whatever its height.

Does trellis count?

Yes. The limit applies to the whole structure, so trellis fixed on top of a fence counts towards the 2 metres. A 1.8 metre panel with 30 cm of trellis on top is over the limit.

Sloping gardens

Height is measured from ground level. On sloping plots, which are common across Keighley, Baildon, Bingley and the Chevin side of Otley, fences are usually stepped so each section stays within the limit.

Where the ground is higher on one side of the fence than the other, stay safely under 2 metres measured from both sides and you won't have a problem.

Conservation areas, estates and the national park

Putting up a new fence within the limits is normally fine in a conservation area. Knocking down an old wall, fence or gate is different: in a conservation area, demolishing one over 1 metre high next to a road, or over 2 metres elsewhere, needs planning permission. Many older properties in Saltaire, Haworth, Ilkley and Otley have stone boundary walls that fall into this.

Some open-plan estates had the right to put up front fences removed by a planning condition or a covenant in the deeds. Check before fencing a front garden on a newer estate.

Homes inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park, such as many villages north of Skipton, follow the same height limits, but planning is handled by the National Park Authority.

Which fence is mine?

There's no rule that it's always the left-hand fence. Ownership is set by your title deeds and plan. Some plans show a 'T' mark on the side of the boundary you're responsible for, though many older plans say nothing. You can get a copy of your title plan from HM Land Registry.

If the deeds are silent, agree it with your neighbour before you replace a shared fence, and put it in writing. The Party Wall Act covers walls, not ordinary timber fences, so there's no formal notice process for a fence.

Which council to ask

Keighley, Bingley, Shipley, Saltaire, Baildon and Ilkley come under Bradford Council. Otley is Leeds City Council. Skipton is North Yorkshire Council, or the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority if your home is inside the park.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change; check with your council before you build. Updated September 2026.