B6.4.1 Softening secure boundaries

Where development adjoins the street, boundary fencing must be designed to balance operational and security requirements with high-quality design. Fencing must:

• be visually permeable wherever possible, using materials such as vertical metal railings or weldmesh to maintain passive surveillance and minimise visual barriers. Solid elements (such as walls) may be incorporated up to a maximum height of 1 metre, with visually permeable elements above

• be set back from the street edge to allow for a minimum 3 metre wide landscape buffer, incorporating layered planting to soften the boundary. A wider buffer (5 metres plus) must be provided for buildings exceeding 30 metres in length and/or 15 metres in height

• be coordinated with other site infrastructure, including lighting, signage, and planting, to create a coherent and integrated streetscape

Fencing must contribute positively to the streetscape and not appear overly defensive or industrial in character, especially in locations with pedestrian activity or public-facing frontages. Palisade fencing must be avoided along any boundary adjacent to the public realm.

Exception: Where the use of palisade fencing is required to maintain security, this must be finished with a high-quality, durable painted or powder-coated finish in a colour that complements the surrounding development. Raw galvanised or untreated metal finishes are not permitted.