High Hedges
New Legislation
The Council has powers to resolve disputes over high hedges in
neighbouring gardens. The law comes under Section 8 of the
Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 and Council officers may step in to
independently resolve disputes if all other attempts to solve the
situation have failed.
The Council is only able to get involved as a last resort and can
refuse to intervene unless it is satisfied that the person making
the complaint has done everything reasonable to settle the
dispute.
Conditions
The Council is only able to consider
complaints that meet all of the following conditions:
- The complaint is being made as a last resort and sufficient
evidence has been provided to demonstrate this.
- The hedge is made up of a line of 2 or more evergreen or
semi-evergreen trees or shrubs.
- The height of the hedge is more than 2 metres above ground
level.
- The hedge is growing on land owned by someone else.
- The affected property is residential.
- The complainant is the owner or occupier of the property
affected by the hedge.
- The complaint is purely in relation to problems directly caused
by the height of the hedge.
Fees
The fee to investigate these complaints has been set at
£300.
(Concessionary fee of £100 for those in receipt of housing or
council tax benefits)
How to register a complaint
Further information