ᐅ Garden Fence Height Regulations in North Rhine-Westphalia and Options for Taller Privacy Screens
Created on: 26 Mar 2022 17:54
T
Tobias ClarenT
Tobias Claren26 Mar 2022 17:54Hello.
From the sidewalk behind the fence, beyond a strip of greenery, at about 170cm (67 inches) eye level, you can see the terrace floor and therefore the entire terrace window of the living room.
Almost down to the ground near the house wall. People, tables, etc. on the terrace are fully visible, as well as people in the garden.
The distance from the sidewalk to the fence is 9.8m (32 feet). Standing 2m (6.5 feet) in front of the fence, you can barely see below the roofline of the bungalow.
If it is not possible to raise the eye level to, for example, 235cm (93 inches) in this situation (which would allow visibility from the sidewalk starting at 2m (6.5 feet) height along the house wall), what options are there to create a taller privacy screen?
Aside from applying for an exemption (although the entire neighborhood hasn't done so since the 1970s), what could theoretically be done?
Over the years, the number of trees has decreased. The last large tree fell onto the neighbor’s roof...
Are there no legal regulations for planting? So, could one plant anything that grows quickly behind a standard fence?
What kinds of plants would be suitable? Leyland cypress, giant bamboo, privet are said to grow particularly fast...
More important than maximum height would be the speed of growth up to around 2.5m (8 feet).
How about attaching continuous flower boxes along the top of the fence and planting them? Those would be plants but not in the ground. Theoretically, from the outside, this might not even appear as hanging plants (compare to "hanging gardens").
That would require about 50cm (20 inches) of dense plant height.
How thick are fence posts usually in practice?
Are 9cm (3.5 inches) posts spaced every 1.8m (6 feet) with ~6mm (0.24 inches) thick vertical slats standard?
I also have beams that are 6cm (~5.6cm (2.2 inches)) thick and ceiling panels with tongue and groove about 12mm (0.5 inches) thick (excluding the visible groove).
And possibly enough slats (if needed, I could buy some) to use as a base between the posts, if these panels are mounted vertically.
I could also place the beams closer together than the current ~1.8m (6 feet) spacing based on the fence sections.
I will have to count and check which beams would be suitable in terms of length. Currently, for a 14m (46 feet) length, there are 8–9 thick beams.
The ninth one is right on the border to the neighbor. Since they have the same old fence, it’s hard to tell who owns that post.
I think it was wobbly as well...
The wood from the interior ceiling panels certainly doesn’t seem worse than the fence wood, which is only about half as thick.
It is solid wood, not MDF or similar. These are long, narrow panel slats.
And if protected properly afterwards, it would probably last longer than the fence wood.
From the sidewalk behind the fence, beyond a strip of greenery, at about 170cm (67 inches) eye level, you can see the terrace floor and therefore the entire terrace window of the living room.
Almost down to the ground near the house wall. People, tables, etc. on the terrace are fully visible, as well as people in the garden.
The distance from the sidewalk to the fence is 9.8m (32 feet). Standing 2m (6.5 feet) in front of the fence, you can barely see below the roofline of the bungalow.
If it is not possible to raise the eye level to, for example, 235cm (93 inches) in this situation (which would allow visibility from the sidewalk starting at 2m (6.5 feet) height along the house wall), what options are there to create a taller privacy screen?
Aside from applying for an exemption (although the entire neighborhood hasn't done so since the 1970s), what could theoretically be done?
Over the years, the number of trees has decreased. The last large tree fell onto the neighbor’s roof...
Are there no legal regulations for planting? So, could one plant anything that grows quickly behind a standard fence?
What kinds of plants would be suitable? Leyland cypress, giant bamboo, privet are said to grow particularly fast...
More important than maximum height would be the speed of growth up to around 2.5m (8 feet).
How about attaching continuous flower boxes along the top of the fence and planting them? Those would be plants but not in the ground. Theoretically, from the outside, this might not even appear as hanging plants (compare to "hanging gardens").
That would require about 50cm (20 inches) of dense plant height.
How thick are fence posts usually in practice?
Are 9cm (3.5 inches) posts spaced every 1.8m (6 feet) with ~6mm (0.24 inches) thick vertical slats standard?
I also have beams that are 6cm (~5.6cm (2.2 inches)) thick and ceiling panels with tongue and groove about 12mm (0.5 inches) thick (excluding the visible groove).
And possibly enough slats (if needed, I could buy some) to use as a base between the posts, if these panels are mounted vertically.
I could also place the beams closer together than the current ~1.8m (6 feet) spacing based on the fence sections.
I will have to count and check which beams would be suitable in terms of length. Currently, for a 14m (46 feet) length, there are 8–9 thick beams.
The ninth one is right on the border to the neighbor. Since they have the same old fence, it’s hard to tell who owns that post.
I think it was wobbly as well...
The wood from the interior ceiling panels certainly doesn’t seem worse than the fence wood, which is only about half as thick.
It is solid wood, not MDF or similar. These are long, narrow panel slats.
And if protected properly afterwards, it would probably last longer than the fence wood.
T
Tobias Claren26 Mar 2022 19:31The development plan does not specify anything.
It is a yellowed, wrinkled document dated June 23, 1969.
On the left is the map and on the right the legend.
There is also a document titled "Textual Regulations."
In it:
Home garden: Along traffic areas, enclosures such as fences or hedges up to a maximum height of 0.80 m (2.6 ft) are permitted, with a maximum base height of 0.20 m (8 inches) above ground level. Along neighboring private properties, enclosures by fences or hedges up to a maximum height of 1.30 m (4.3 ft) are allowed, including a maximum base height of 0.20 m (8 inches) above ground level. The visibility for traffic must not be obstructed by fences or growth. To screen garden courtyards in garden courtyard houses, walls up to 2.00 m (6.6 ft) high are permitted, as well as wall sections of the same height between groups of houses to shield terraces. Coordination in the choice of materials is required.
At that time, there was still open space of possibly 2 km (1.2 miles) to the nearest town behind it.
When construction began there, everyone installed about 2 m (6.6 ft) high standard fences made from 1.8 m x 1.8 m (5.9 ft x 5.9 ft) panels consisting of double “woven” wide 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick wooden slats.
Is a split-paved footpath that is blocked off by bollards considered a “public traffic area”?
In the “Design Statutes” it states:
2: Enclosures along public traffic areas: Enclosures up to a maximum of 1.00 m (3.3 ft) above ground surface level, as well as hedges, are generally permitted as long as they do not obstruct visibility for traffic (visibility triangle). Chain-link fences of the same height as the above-mentioned hedges are also allowed.
Closed enclosures such as walls are not permitted. Ground surface level is defined as the curb edge of the sidewalk adjacent to the property, or if there is no sidewalk, the edge of the roadway adjacent to the traffic area.
3:
Enclosures along private property boundaries: In addition to those enclosures permitted in item 2, first sentence, chain-link fences up to a maximum of 2.00 m (6.6 ft) above natural ground level are allowed.
Exceptions: Exceptions regarding type and design of enclosures are only permitted with the consent of the owner of the immediately adjacent property (neighbor); the maximum enclosure height of 2.00 m (6.6 ft) (first sentence) must be observed.
There is the 2.00 m (6.6 ft) height mentioned. Does this apply to the rear garden boundary in this case?
Possibly the 2 m (6.6 ft) height limit already applied back then, but only picket fences were built despite that, due to the open view — there was only open field beyond.
This part is dated February 19, 1987.
However, in the window of the house standing beside the property behind, there has always been a “spy window” from which it might be possible to see the entire garden including the terrace even at a height of 3 m (9.8 ft)...
There is no specification regarding the type or height of plants.
In a plan for the new area behind, even tree species, hedge types, etc. are listed.
And naturally, there are no rules about plants in pots on the fence that grow above the 2 m (6.6 ft) height.
Perhaps this, alongside a proper hedge growing from the ground, could be a permissible option.
It is a yellowed, wrinkled document dated June 23, 1969.
On the left is the map and on the right the legend.
There is also a document titled "Textual Regulations."
In it:
Home garden: Along traffic areas, enclosures such as fences or hedges up to a maximum height of 0.80 m (2.6 ft) are permitted, with a maximum base height of 0.20 m (8 inches) above ground level. Along neighboring private properties, enclosures by fences or hedges up to a maximum height of 1.30 m (4.3 ft) are allowed, including a maximum base height of 0.20 m (8 inches) above ground level. The visibility for traffic must not be obstructed by fences or growth. To screen garden courtyards in garden courtyard houses, walls up to 2.00 m (6.6 ft) high are permitted, as well as wall sections of the same height between groups of houses to shield terraces. Coordination in the choice of materials is required.
At that time, there was still open space of possibly 2 km (1.2 miles) to the nearest town behind it.
When construction began there, everyone installed about 2 m (6.6 ft) high standard fences made from 1.8 m x 1.8 m (5.9 ft x 5.9 ft) panels consisting of double “woven” wide 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick wooden slats.
Is a split-paved footpath that is blocked off by bollards considered a “public traffic area”?
In the “Design Statutes” it states:
2: Enclosures along public traffic areas: Enclosures up to a maximum of 1.00 m (3.3 ft) above ground surface level, as well as hedges, are generally permitted as long as they do not obstruct visibility for traffic (visibility triangle). Chain-link fences of the same height as the above-mentioned hedges are also allowed.
Closed enclosures such as walls are not permitted. Ground surface level is defined as the curb edge of the sidewalk adjacent to the property, or if there is no sidewalk, the edge of the roadway adjacent to the traffic area.
3:
Enclosures along private property boundaries: In addition to those enclosures permitted in item 2, first sentence, chain-link fences up to a maximum of 2.00 m (6.6 ft) above natural ground level are allowed.
Exceptions: Exceptions regarding type and design of enclosures are only permitted with the consent of the owner of the immediately adjacent property (neighbor); the maximum enclosure height of 2.00 m (6.6 ft) (first sentence) must be observed.
There is the 2.00 m (6.6 ft) height mentioned. Does this apply to the rear garden boundary in this case?
Possibly the 2 m (6.6 ft) height limit already applied back then, but only picket fences were built despite that, due to the open view — there was only open field beyond.
This part is dated February 19, 1987.
However, in the window of the house standing beside the property behind, there has always been a “spy window” from which it might be possible to see the entire garden including the terrace even at a height of 3 m (9.8 ft)...
There is no specification regarding the type or height of plants.
In a plan for the new area behind, even tree species, hedge types, etc. are listed.
And naturally, there are no rules about plants in pots on the fence that grow above the 2 m (6.6 ft) height.
Perhaps this, alongside a proper hedge growing from the ground, could be a permissible option.
Tobias Claren schrieb:
The plan for the new area behind even specifies tree species, hedge types, etc. From this, you can infer the "planning intent" of your development plan, which it would have had at the time of any amendment.
Tobias Claren schrieb:
In front of the window of the house located to the side of the plot behind, there is now an "observation window" from which, even at a height of 3m (10 feet), you could probably see the entire garden including the terrace... For paranoia, there are doctors, not fences.
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