Most fence work in Lichfield and Tamworth is straightforward replacement: a rear boundary of tired lap panels on a Stonydelph, Amington or Boley Park estate, swapped for something that will survive the next storm. For a back fence under 2 metres, that rarely needs anyone's permission.
The catches are in two places. A short list of named houses in Lichfield, Whittington, Wigginton, Tamworth and Wilnecote carry Article 4 directions that bring every fence, wall and gate under planning control. And some of Tamworth's estates were built with open-plan fronts that the borough still protects.
Ground and Gate doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local fencing specialist who covers WS13, WS14, B77, B78 and B79, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.
What a new fence costs in Lichfield & Tamworth
Rates are per metre, supply and fit, waste included, indicative for the West Midlands.
| Style | Under 1m | About 1.2m | About 1.8m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlap panels | £36–£54 | £48–£72 | £60–£90 |
| Featheredge / closeboard | £57–£81 | £76–£108 | £95–£135 |
| Slatted / contemporary | £78–£114 | £104–£152 | £130–£190 |
| Post and rail | £24–£39 | £32–£52 | £40–£65 |
| Extra | Per metre |
|---|---|
| Concrete posts instead of timber | about £10 |
| Removing and taking away the old fence | £8–£15 |
The rates are the same across the West Midlands. A typical Tamworth estate job is about 20 metres of 1.8m overlap panels on concrete posts with the old fence removed. From the table that comes to roughly £1,560–£2,300. A walled yard in central Lichfield is often a short run, which can fall under the minimum charge of about £420. The fence cost per metre guide has worked examples.
What pushes the price up here
- Disposal. Staffordshire's recycling centres only take trade waste from Staffordshire businesses with a waste carrier's licence, and charge for it. The county also warns that some centres may temporarily refuse wood. The removal price covers this.
- Access to walled yards. In Lichfield's older streets, materials often have to come through the house.
- Soft ground. BGS maps river alluvium in parts of Amington. Soft, wet ground needs deeper post holes and more concrete.
- Planning first. On the Article 4 houses listed below, nothing can start until permission is granted.
- Footpath and green boundaries. Rear fences backing onto public paths need concrete posts and gravel boards to stand up to knocks.
Article 4 houses where a fence needs planning permission
Article 4 directions in this patch apply to named properties, not whole conservation areas, so check the schedule for your address.
Lichfield District. Lichfield District Council's schedules list properties in three conservation areas. In Lichfield city they cover Mousley Terrace on Frog Lane, the west side of Curborough Road, parts of both sides of Gaia Lane and the south side of St Chad's Road. In Whittington they cover named houses on Back Lane, Blacksmith Lane, Church Street, Main Street, The Green and a few others. Wigginton has its own list along Main Road. For every one of them, the council says planning permission is needed for "the alteration, removal or erection of any gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure within the grounds of a house".
Tamworth Borough. Tamworth's directions were sealed in October 2008. The Victoria Road and Albert Road direction covers 60 and 61 Albert Road and eight houses on Victoria Road. The Wilnecote direction covers 22, 24 and 30 Glascote Lane. Both remove the right to put up or alter a gate, fence or wall, and to demolish one.
Tamworth's 2017 management plans for Victoria Road and Wilnecote both record terraces that have lost their front gardens and boundary walls, which is why the borough wants control over these few houses.
Open-plan fronts and corners in Tamworth
Tamworth's Design SPD says low walls and fences up to 1 metre suit front boundaries, and higher front fences are not generally supported. It also says that in some residential areas of Tamworth, open-plan front and side gardens are protected by the removal of permitted development rights, so planning permission may be needed for any boundary at all. On front and corner flanks, the SPD prefers walls to close-boarded fencing. If your estate was built open-plan, ask the borough's planners before you enclose the front.
On a corner plot, think about drivers too. Staffordshire County Council's dropped kerb criteria say a driver's view of the road from a driveway must not be blocked by objects such as hedges or walls. A tall fence beside your own or a neighbour's drive can do exactly that.
Ground for posts
The British Geological Survey's bedrock map shows Triassic sandstone and conglomerate under Lichfield city, and Warwickshire Group mudstone, siltstone and sandstone under Glascote and Amington in Tamworth. Sandstone ground generally drains better than mudstone. Mudstone holds water around the post, so posts are best set in concrete with a gravel base beneath.
What the job involves
- Checks. The specialist confirms the boundary, and whether your house is on an Article 4 schedule or an open-plan estate.
- Strip out. Old panels and posts come down and old footings are broken out.
- New fence. Posts set in concrete, then gravel boards and panels or featheredge.
- Clear up. Waste leaves with the specialist under their own carrier's licence.
Questions about new fences in Lichfield & Tamworth
Do I need planning permission for a new fence on Gaia Lane or St Chad's Road in Lichfield?
Possibly. Lichfield District Council's Article 4 schedule lists specific houses on Gaia Lane, St Chad's Road, Curborough Road and Mousley Terrace. If yours is on it, putting up, altering or removing any fence, wall or gate needs permission. If it is not, the normal rules apply.
Can I fence in my open-plan front garden in Tamworth?
Check first. Tamworth's Design SPD says some estates have open-plan fronts protected by the removal of permitted development rights, so any front boundary may need planning permission. Even where it does not, the borough prefers walls or fences no higher than 1 metre at the front.
Which houses in Wilnecote have an Article 4 direction on boundaries?
Numbers 22, 24 and 30 Glascote Lane. Tamworth's 2008 direction removes the right to erect, alter or demolish gates, fences and walls at those three houses without planning permission.
Can I take my old fence to Lichfield Recycling Centre on Trent Valley Road?
As a resident, usually yes, but Staffordshire warns that some centres may temporarily stop taking wood, so check before you go. A van or a trailer over 1.5 metres needs a permit, which allows 12 visits a year. If you live on the east side of Tamworth, Lower House Farm in North Warwickshire may be nearer.
Is the ground hard to dig for fence posts in Amington?
BGS maps Warwickshire Group mudstone, siltstone and sandstone under Amington. That ground drains slowly, and BGS also maps river alluvium in parts of Amington, so posts are best set in concrete over a gravel base to stop water sitting around the timber.