Involving the council - the last resort
Making a high hedges complaint should be seen as a last resort when all other options to resolve the dispute have been unsuccessful.
If you have gone through the steps outlined in the guidance and are unable to sort things out between yourselves, you can contact the council.
Important:
- Evidence will need to be provided to show that attempts have been made to settle the dispute. We can refuse to intervene if it appears that those involved have not done everything they can to try to settle the dispute themselves.
- A fee of £717 is charged to the complainant for a formal decision report to be prepared and issued. The fee reflects the amount of work involved in investigating and concluding a case. This is another reason why it is important for the parties to try to resolve a case between them before involving the council.
Please note: The fee is waived if the complainant is aged over 65. We do not discount or waive this fee for people who are under 65 and/or in receipt of benefits, but free advice can be given on whether the hedge is likely to require remedial action.
Make a complaint about a neighbour's high hedge
What happens next?
On receipt of a complaint form, we will decide if the complaint meets the criteria set out in the guidance leaflet. If it does, we will contact the owner of the hedge to ask for information and their opinion.
When this has been received, a council officer will arrange to visit to view the hedge from both properties. Measurements and photographs will be taken.
When all the information has been gathered, the officer will make a decision on whether or not the height of the hedge should be reduced and will write a formal decision report. If it is decided that the height needs to be reduced, (if necessary) a legal notice may be served on the owner of the hedge.