Boundary Hedges, Fences and Walls
Trees, hedges, fences and walls within the Garden City
The Garden City is unusual in having two separate bodies which control works to trees and hedges. Both have a responsibility to preserve Letchworth Garden City's character and amenity. Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation is the Estate landlord, which owns and /or manages much of the land on which the town is built. If your property is within the Letchworth Garden City estate, and you want to make changes to it, including cutting down trees and hedges, often you must apply to the Heritage Foundation for consent. This is a requirement under the terms of your lease or, if you are a freeholder, under a special Scheme of Management. There is no charge for this service. North Hertfordshire District Council is the local planning authority, and you must make your applications for planning permission, Listed Building and conservation area consent to this Council.
The Heritage Foundation's policy on trees and hedges
In dealing with either requests to cut down trees or hedges or carrying out works to its own trees and hedges the Heritage Foundation will:
Seek to protect the environmental beauty and historic interest of trees and hedges in Letchworth Garden City for the benefit of the community by:
- Only felling or allowing trees and hedges to be removed where they are dead, dying, dangerous or causing an identifiable nuisance
- Managing its own trees and hedges in accordance with good arboriculture practice
- Planting new trees and hedges in the Garden City and encouraging others to carry out new replacement planting
- To seek to enhance the environmental awareness and wildlife interest of the estate through planting and management practice
- We will endeavour to keep neighbours informed when we carry out tree works unless the works have to be done to alleviate an immediate danger or nuisance.
Wish to do works to a tree or hedge?
For most people, the most distinct and special character of Letchworth Garden City is the open spaces and landscaping. Garden hedging, numerous mature trees and wide road verges have all added to the rural atmosphere of the town. It is vital to the Garden City that they are retained.
Hedges
Most early front gardens were enclosed by hedges and/or low fences. These are just as important as trees to the appearance of the Garden City and should be removed or changed with the approval of the Heritage Foundation. In general, hedges, or a combination of hedge and fence, are preferred for front boundaries, particularly in the Conservation Areas. Both hedges and fences should be in keeping with those already existing in the same road. The hedging recommended is privet, box, beech or hornbeam rather than fast growing conifers, which can so quickly become a grim fortress, destroying the character of the neighbourhood.
Trees
All owners living within Letchworth's Conservation Areas must formally notify the Council and Heritage Foundation of their intent to carry out any works to trees, on their property. There is a presumption in favour of retaining all trees within the Letchworth Conservation Area, and a tree preservation order may be served by the Council to protect groups or individual trees. Outside the Conservation Areas, owners must still seek the permission of the Heritage Foundation for the felling of trees. The removal of trees, at your expense, from individual residential properties will be permitted only where a clear case exists to justify such action.
Dead, dying, diseased or dangerous trees will be considered as exceptions, but anyone wishing to carry out work to a tree in their garden will be expected to obtain their own advice from a specialist tree contractor, and to employ appropriate measures to save the tree if possible, through remedial work. Where a tree is removed, appropriate replacement planting will usually be expected. In all instances, tree owners should always check with the North Hertfordshire District Council regarding Tree Preservation Orders, as any works to trees covered by such orders require special permission, and unauthorised works may result in a fine.
Fences and Walls
The rules on fences and walls vary according to where you live, as consent is required from the Heritage Foundation for fences around front gardens or adjacent to roads. Consent is not required from the Heritage Foundation for fences no higher than 2m between rear gardens. Front fences should be of an 'open' picket type, not close boarded or woven. Front boundary walls are not common in Letchworth Garden City and on the whole hedges of an appropriate type are to be encouraged as they present a less harsh appearance, more in keeping with the original Garden City. Care is required if you live in a Listed Building as Listed Building Consent will be required from the Council if you wish to alter an original boundary fence or wall of whatever height. We will take into account the importance of such walls and fences as an original feature of the property.
Open garden frontages
Some groups of houses, residential areas or estates have been designed with open garden frontages, and these should be kept open in order to preserve the existing street scene. Proposals for enclosures, which disrupt this design, will generally not be allowed by the Heritage Foundation or District Council.