Repairs and Maintenance Policy

19.1. Divisional fencing is fencing that divides the gardens of two council owned property at the back and sides.

19.2. Boundary fencing is fencing that separates a garden from a public area such as a footpath or field.

19.3. Dividing fencing is the responsibility of the customer. We do not carry out repairs to dividing fences between two council owned homes.

19.4. A fence that separates a garden from a council owned property and one that is privately owned is deemed a boundary fence. If there is clear evidence the ownership of the fence is ours, we will carry out repairs. We hold and archive of boundary plans that can be checked for ownership.

19.5. If the fence is the responsibility of the owner occupier and there are health and safety concerns, we may 'make safe' the fence with the owner's consent. If the owner occupier refuses to give consent, then the existing fence will stay in situ. In these cases, legal advice may be sought.

19.6. Where there are health and safety concerns, we will carry out a 'make safe' to divisional fencing. This will often result in removing the fencing. It will then be the responsibility of the council tenants to repair/maintain.

19.7. We do not need to provide boundary or dividing fencing where there is already a visible boundary in place. This may be hedging, or small boundary walls.

19.8. For properties where hedging provides the boundary, it is the responsibility of the customer to maintain.

19.9. We will not install fencing on top of boundary or divisional walls.

19.10. We will not provide boundary or dividing fencing in areas that are currently open plan - that is, where there are no obvious individual garden areas or where fencing has never been in place. These areas will remain open plan.

19.11. We will only consider repairing/replacing fencing where it is needed to provide:

• protection for people entering a garden where the boundary fence line borders a thoroughfare or public space
• separation of a garden from hazards such as streams or severe changes in ground level at the edge of a property (in excess of 900mm)

19.12. Where a decision is made to repair or replace fencing, the style of fencing will be based on which offers best value for money.

19.13. Any decision to repair or replace divisional or boundary fencing is at our discretion and subject to budgetary control and individual case management.

19.14. If we replace divisional fencing as part of a programme or provide it for health and safety reasons, then we may gift this fence to you. This means that it would become the responsibility of the council tenants to maintain.