It’s all very well encouraging parents to think about getting a trampoline for their gardens, and I do it often, but one friend asked me the other day about whether you need planning permission for these structures in our gardens and so I went on a bit of research mission to find out for you.
This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them may result in a commission being paid to us if you purchase afterwards - this is at no extra cost to yourself. Thanks!
So, do you need planning permission for a trampoline in the UK?
No – you do not need planning permission for siting a trampoline in your garden. There are some privacy rules that should be born in mind before going out and getting a trampoline though which I’ll discuss in this article.
Contents
What are the laws you need to be aware of before getting a trampoline
The main thing you need to be aware of before getting a trampoline is privacy. There is no specific privacy law in the UK at the moment but we are covered under the European laws of human rights. These human rights entitle us to privacy (source) and that should enable us to be able to have respect for our private and family life.
Now, would having a trampoline contravene this? (I’m not a lawyer so if you do have issues then I would recommend getting in touch with one or Citizens Advice)
If your trampoline all of a sudden allows for yourself and your children to be able to peer over in to other people’s gardens then there may well be issues with their privacy rights and at the very least you may well develop a bad relationship with your neighbours which we all would love to not have!
How to stop your trampoline being a nuisance to neighbours
On my research journey for this post I came across so many stories of people whose lives were made miserable by people buying trampolines for their gardens without thinking of their neighbours.
It really doesn’t have to be this way and here’s some ways that you can stop your new toy being a nuisance to your neighbours.
Talk to your neighbours
First of all I really recommend opening some dialogue about your intended purchase. This is so much better than one day surprising them with noisy kids playing out there. I think that at our core we all want to do the right thing and that goes for them too – if you talk and be open then the chances of it all being nothing to worry about is much higher. Perhaps they are thinking of putting up a higher fence anyway and it will all work out ok!
Even if your neighbours are completely happy for you to get one they’ll appreciate that you’ve asked. I’d also suggest that you ask them to let you know if it does cause them any issues once you go ahead and get one.
It can be a great way to start to get to know your neighbours if you don’t already – invite them round for a bounce on the trampoline! Or perhaps just a cup of tea and some biscuits!
Be mindful of where you position the trampoline
Not all of us have the luxury of lots of options of where to position a trampoline, but if you do, just be mindful of whether this might interfere with the privacy of your neighbours. Too close to a fence might be just a bit too much.
Have rules on noise in the garden
Make sure that your kids are aware that not everyone enjoys the screams of children as they bounce on a trampoline. Have some rules about noise and make sure that the trampoline isn’t used past 11pm or before 7am. If you do so you might be causing noise disturbance that can be reported.
It’s a simple one – just be respectful of others
Consider planting hedges that could help with maintaining privacy
If you think that having a trampoline is going to be a concern for the privacy of yourself or your neighbours then planting some tall hedges or putting in some higher fences might be worth thinking about.
Sometimes neighbours can be annoyed at anything we’re likely to have in our gardens and sometimes we are blessed with great neighbours that wouldn’t even think of complaining and just enjoy hearing kids play. If we all do the best that we can then we can at least know that we have tried to make the best out of a situation.
