High Hedges - How the Council will Deal With the Complaint
- An initial investigation fee of £157.50 will be charged when making a complaint. An additional fee of £472.50 will then be charged if the Council can proceed with the complaint
- Each case will be looked at individually
- Evidence about the height and allegations made will be witnessed by an officer
- The owners of the hedge will be contacted as soon as the complaint is made so they can submit their side of the story
- If the hedge is found to be causing a nuisance under the legislation, a calculation can be used as a starting point, however other factors will effect the end decision on the height of the hedge
- Both the hedge owner and the complainant will be able to appeal against the Council’s decision. If this happens, the notice would be suspended whilst the appeal is being determined
What can be done?
The calculation which is used as a starting point when looking at hedge height, takes into account the following factors:
- Size of the garden
- Hedge height and location
- Location of property
- Angle of property (ie south facing)
On due consideration of all the facts, a notice can then be served to get the hedge trimmed down to and maintained at a specified height. It cannot however, make the owner trim the hedge to below 2m, or get it removed altogether.
It is worth noting that the specified height may be substantially greater or lesser than what you had in mind.
When trimming the hedge, the legislation requires the hedge to be cut 60cm to 1m below the hedge action height to allow for growth and maintenance. The hedge action height is the maximum height the hedge can be.
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