Can anyone recommend some quick growing hedges/climbers/trees etc to give me some much needed privacy from nosey neighbours please ?

I would pose this question to a good nursery in your area.

Foliage type also affects noise bufferingf. Conifers do better for high pitched noises. Laurel type leaves are better for common neighborhood problems.

I have two or maybe three recommends.

Portugese Laurel
Myrica Calififornica. Similar but more feminine looking.
Thuya YUK, but it may work for you.
Berberis Some may be okay.

Some bamboo. Fargesia. Expensive!

Do remember, height and the cost of pruning and removal of materia. That fast growing bargain may cost you in the long run.

As the hedges although fast growing are going to take a few years to become effective, I would be inclined to put up a lap fencing six ft is your maximum allowed and then plant a slower growing hedge with not too much annual maintenance as skyline suggests to grow behind it to take over when the fence has had its life. Although the fence will last if put up well 20 yrs. so you may be able to enjoy climbers and flowers against it, such as Clematis and roses.

If a full structural fence made of panels, close boarded etc. is too expensive, put up angle irons to 6ft. with pig wire onto the irons above your existing fence, grow on it Russian Vine.
Any shrubs or trees you buy of any size will be very expensive and will take a long time to come to maturity.
Whatever you put there, loud noise will still penetrate.

You can buy good sized laurels quite cheaply and they do grow quite fast. If you want instant privacy you have no alternative other than putting up a lap fence or similar. My maxim with neighbours is, if they have nothing better to do that gaze at your garden all day then make it really worth looking at ( while you are planting your high screening!!!!!).

virginia creeper is quite a good grower and not so invasive as russian vine though they will bothe have the desired effect.the colours in autum are awsome

i believe trellis can go as high as you want so you could have a normal 6` fence with a 3` trellis or taller above that with a climber of some sort.dont use leylandi as you need planning permission to plant now.

.DEFINITELY steer clear of Leylandii - they grow like rockets and are a complete nuisance to cut back to keep under control.

I must add to Np's suggestion of Virginia creeper - it loses its leaves so though it's great in summer and autumn, it wouldn't give you privacy in the rest of the year.

As to laurels, there are variegated ones which are quite attractive. Good for hedging, as Wyeboy said.

hi nicci , how tall is your existing fence? could you not just extend the hieght with some trellis and then grow some good climbers across this trellis. will be cheaper than specimen hedge plants, and quicker to fill in with the added benefit of a whole range of colours......steve

You could get a few mature conifers (say 5 feet high now) that won't get too much bigger and if you space them out but at the same time set them strategically say to block the view of their window, you could get quite effective privacy instantly then you could set some shrubs in between. You can get quite fast growing shrubs at a reasonable price like hazels and virburnum. Good luck.

pyracanthus is quite a quick grower.
it is a climber plus if you have a few they can be trained as a hedge.
be warned though they get quite big thorns on them so ideal if you want to security as well.
they are evergreen ,get small flowers which change to berries later in the year.
Birds seem to like them