Guide · Planning & consent
Planning permission for driveway gates: the actual rules
Most driveway gates in England are permitted development and need no planning permission — provided they stand no more than 1 metre high next to a highway or 2 metres elsewhere, and the property isn't listed or stripped of permitted development rights. Listed buildings, conservation areas with Article 4 directions, and new estates with restrictive covenants are the exceptions that catch people out.
The permitted development rules, precisely
Under Class A of Part 2, Schedule 2 of the General Permitted Development Order, gates, fences and walls need no application if:
- Adjacent to a highway used by vehicles: maximum 1 metre high. "Adjacent" is judged case by case, but a gate on the back edge of the footway is squarely within it.
- Anywhere else on the boundary: maximum 2 metres high.
- The property is not listed (gates within the curtilage of a listed building need listed building consent regardless of height).
- Permitted development rights haven't been removed by an Article 4 direction or by a planning condition on the estate.
Since most driveway gates run 1.5–1.8m tall, the practical question is whether yours count as "adjacent to a highway". Setting the gate line back 5m+ up the drive frequently resolves it — and, usefully, also creates a courier pull-in off the road.
The exception traps, ranked by how often they bite
| Trap | Frequency | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New-build estate covenants | Very common | Developer consent needed even where planning isn't — check the transfer deed (TP1) |
| Conservation areas + Article 4 | Common in Surrey towns | Guildford, Farnham and Godalming centres carry directions; verify with the council's map |
| Listed buildings | Predictable but absolute | Consent required for gates, piers and even replacing existing ironwork |
| Visibility splays on classified roads | Underestimated | Highways can object to gates that force cars to wait on the carriageway — a 5m set-back solves it |
| Shared / private road deeds | Frequent on Surrey private estates | Consent of other users or the estate company; see estate gates |
How we handle consent on your behalf
Where an application or consent is needed, we produce the drawings — scaled elevations, sections through piers, material and finish schedules — that planners and conservation officers actually want, and for listed settings we design in the language of the property so the application argues for itself. A householder application runs around 8 weeks; listed building consent similar but with more design dialogue. We build this into the programme rather than discovering it after fabrication, and we'll tell you at survey, for free, whether your project needs anything at all.
One honest note: this page is practical guidance, not legal advice — boundary and covenant questions occasionally need a solicitor, and we'll say so when they do.
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Tell us the opening width, whether power is nearby and the style you have in mind. We measure on site, confirm a fixed price in writing, and never sell door-to-door.
Prefer to talk? Call 01483 000 000.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for 1.8m gates?
Not if they're more than a nominal distance from a vehicular highway and your property is unlisted with PD rights intact — the 2m allowance covers them. Fronting the road directly, the 1m limit applies and an application is needed.
Do electric gates specifically need permission?
Automation itself isn't a planning matter — the gate's height and position are. The same rules apply whether the gates are manual or automated.
My house is in a conservation area — can I still have gates?
Usually yes; conservation areas restrict rather than prohibit. Designs sympathetic to the street scene — traditional ironwork especially — are routinely approved. Article 4 directions simply mean applying first.
Can my neighbour object to my gates?
They can comment on any application, but objections carry weight only on material planning grounds. On shared drives, however, deeds trump planning — private consent can be needed even where the council's isn't.