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Having a living green wall on boundary wall with neighbour

Dannyboy334Dannyboy334 Posts: 68
edited May 2022 in Garden design
I live in a terrace house and share a boundary wall with a neighbour, I own the side facing into my yard. The yard is concreted. If I were to knock through the wall it would bring me into my neighbour's kitchen.

I want to create a living wall with climbers as can be seen in the two photographs below. From the two images below you will see only the top half of the wall has greenery but I want to have my entire wall covered in greenery.

I was thinking should I dig out the concrete and place soil along the wall to plant some sort of climbing plant. The yard area is North Facing. I do not want to interfere too much with the neighbour's foundations.

Many thanks











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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,740
    edited May 2022
    As I read your drawings and photographs that wall is the wall of your neighbour's house and belongs to your neighbour ... you cannot attach anything or grow anything up their wall without their express permission.  You certainly cannot dig down and compromise the integrity of their house foundations or their damp proof course.  

    I think you should accept that you cannot have more of a living green wall there than already exists.  

     :) 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,628
    edited May 2022
    Hi.

    I don't think you own the wall.  That's their house. 

    Troughs and pots is the way to go (freestanding ones).
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,246
    I agree. If it's their wall, you can't put anything on it- plant or otherwise, so the first step is to determine that absolutely. Just because it forms part of the boundary doesn't mean you can use it. You certainly can't start removing concrete etc.
    Plant up your own plot - pots, containers if there's no room in the ground, or have stuff on your own walls  :)

    A neighbour's garage forms part of my garden boundary. I put up an internal section of fence and had a small raised bed and climbers on that.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Dannyboy334Dannyboy334 Posts: 68
    I actually own everything north of the grey dotted line as you look at the plan. So I do own that part of the wall.

    For example, I would be fully entitled to attach steel wires to that wall as long as the fixtures were shallow enough.
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 4,721
    Not sure how you can own a wall which is the wall of your neighbours kitchen? 
  • Dannyboy334Dannyboy334 Posts: 68
    Fairygirl said:
    I agree. If it's their wall, you can't put anything on it- plant or otherwise, so the first step is to determine that absolutely. Just because it forms part of the boundary doesn't mean you can use it. You certainly can't start removing concrete etc.
    Plant up your own plot - pots, containers if there's no room in the ground, or have stuff on your own walls  :)

    A neighbour's garage forms part of my garden boundary. I put up an internal section of fence and had a small raised bed and climbers on that.
    From speaking to my architect I own that part of the wall. Basically, you slice that wall in half down the middle and I own the half facing into my yard if that makes sense. I see no legal reason why I would not be entitled to grow climbers up that wall. I guess the issue is I would need to find climbers which do not penetrate the brickwork.
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 1,389
    Do you own your neighbors property?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,740
    edited May 2022
    If that is your understanding then you really should take advice from a solicitor before doing anything ...  I would never take legal advice from an architect ... it is not their subject. 

    I think  Party Wall legislation probably applies. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • Dannyboy334Dannyboy334 Posts: 68
    Sheps said:
    Do you own your neighbors property?
    No, I do not sadly.

    Please see the below image which helps explain what I own better. Everything in red I own, this includes part of the wall.



  • Dannyboy334Dannyboy334 Posts: 68
    edited May 2022
    Dovefromabove said:
    If that is your understanding then you really should take advice from a solicitor before doing anything ...  I would never take legal advice from an architect ... it is not their subject. 

    I think  Party Wall legislation probably applies. 
    In Scotland and Northern Ireland a boundary wall, one built equally on both sides of a boundary, is considered to have an invisible line down the middle of it, with each owner owning half. The law states that each owner has a common interest in the wall as a whole. As a result, each owner is entitled to use his share of the wall as he likes as long as that use does not negatively impact upon the common interest in the wall as a whole.

    I think that paragraph might resolve it in my favour?

    Would having climbers negatively impact the neighbour's side of the wall?
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