Yorkshire Pudding Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Hi all We are lucky to have a long back garden with a HUGE hedge all along one side and the far end. It is nine feet tall near the house, getting taller to the far end as the garden slopes downhill. At it's tallest it is around twelve feet. Behind the hedge is a single track access road leading to two bungalows, which are local authority owned. I've just had a letter from the L A requesting that we cut back the hedge on that side. My question is this: we have no access at the rear of the garden, or any way through to reach the far side of the hedge. To reach it involves a good ten minute walk around the block. The boundary runs through the hedge so the far side is not on our property. Who is responsible for maintaining the far side? Advice welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 It perhaps comes down to ownership, ie the hedge owner is responsible for upkeep of both sides? Sounds a bit of a pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I know that we are responsible for the street side of our front garden hedge. If it gets too wide and narrows the pavement we get a letter from the council telling us to cut it back. That only happened once and was when we were in our twenties. I assume it hasnt changed since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatieB Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Hello this is a link to the advice from a council, I know its not your council but obviously the law is the same so I'm afraid its your obligation otherwise they can serve a formal notice on you. Breach of the notice can lead to prosecution http://www.havant.gov.uk/havant-2726 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Thanks all, very helpful - I knew I could ask Omlet! It is a total pain in the neck but since we cannot reach the far side ourselves with our electric trimmer, I will have to call our tree surgeon Rob and ask him to do the job. His are petrol driven so no cables to stretch around the garden! I am loath to do it now though, as there are several nests in the hedge and still many chicks not flown. I dont want to disturb them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Thanks all, very helpful - I knew I could ask Omlet! It is a total pain in the neck but since we cannot reach the far side ourselves with our electric trimmer, I will have to call our tree surgeon Rob and ask him to do the job. His are petrol driven so no cables to stretch around the garden! I am loath to do it now though, as there are several nests in the hedge and still many chicks not flown. I dont want to disturb them Sure the council won't make you do it now if you tell them that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 We have a huge tree/hedge boundary, it straddles the official boundary like yours but we are responsible for both sides I wouldnt trim a hedge or tree when birds are nesting though, speak to the LA, my guess is that they dont expect you to react immediately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 any nests that are still been used are covered by the Countryside and wildlife act 1981 I think but you'll need to talk to you LA just to inform they that the hedge has birds nesting in them and that you will do any work once the nest have been vaccated otherwise the LA will step you the case and could send a legal letter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 any nests that are still been used are covered by the Countryside and wildlife act 1981 I think but you'll need to talk to you LA just to inform they that the hedge has birds nesting in them and that you will do any work once the nest have been vaccated otherwise the LA will step you the case and could send a legal letter Umm just a thought! If it's a boundary onto a road you will want it to be strong, have you thought about getting it layed if it's sutable that is? If you trim it with a hedgetrimmer all that will do is stimulate growth and you'll be paying to have it done again in no time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 Parts are privet and other parts leylandii which I don't think could be layed. Luckily the road is only used to access the bungalows, and rarely by vehicles. It's a dense hedge, with chicken wire through its heart and impenetrable even to our cats and hens so reasonably secure The irony is that we asked the LA a few years ago if we could buy the thirty square metres of unused grass and weeds on the side of it, remove our huge hedge and use it as a veg plot. They said no, and here we are with a monster hedge they don't like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...