Hedges maintenance
High hedges
Problems with high hedges are best solved informally by talking with the owner of the hedge.
You should:
- speak to your neighbour and politely ask if you can discuss the hedge
- if this doesn't work, ask your neighbour to try mediation
- if you still can't agree, let them know that you plan to complain to us
If you don’t know who owns the land or property, you can find out by searching the Land Registry.
Making a high hedge complaint
Please ensure to keep a record of your attempts to solve the issue with the hedge owner. You will need this information if you want to complain to us about the hedge. You need to prove you have tried to solve the problem before contacting us.
Before you make a complaint, it's important to know that there are government regulations in place which guide how we deal with high hedge problems. For example, if you raise a complaint, we cannot automatically order your neighbour to cut their hedge. The hedge would need to affect your ‘reasonable enjoyment’. The way that is decided is based on several factors and each case is different.
The Government regulations don't cover:
- single trees or shrubs
- trees or shrubs shedding their leaves
- ordering a hedge to be removed
- guaranteeing you access to uninterrupted light
- issuing Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) for high hedges
- problems caused by hedge or tree roots
- comparing the height of the hedge to other nearby hedges
If your other neighbours keep their hedges trimmed to a certain height, you can’t use this as grounds to complain that another neighbour doesn’t keep theirs the same height.
How to complain
Please note that we can only accept complaints about a hedge that is made up of at least two evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs which are in a line with no big gaps in between. It must be at least two metres high and block out light to your home or garden.
You can complain whether you own or rent your home, but make sure you let your landlord know that you’re complaining to us. Make sure you tell us as much information as possible about the hedge and the problem but keep the information factual. We will send a copy of your complaint to your neighbour and their landlord if they have one.
You'll need to ensure you have copies of the following before starting a complaint:
- evidence that you’ve spoken to your neighbour and tried to resolve the problem informally first
- a photo of the hedge
- a plan showing where the hedge is and the surrounding properties
- any extra documents or professional reports that you have
- details of any formal complaints you’ve already made about the hedge
Please note that you must pay the fee in advance, before we can investigate. This fee is non-refundable.
