Making a complaint about a high hedge

Current legislation on high hedges gives local authorities powers to deal with complaints about high hedges. View the guidance at High hedges: complaining to the council | GOV.UK on what complaints the Council can consider and how they will deal with them.

When you have tried all other options to resolve a hedge dispute, you can bring your complaint about a neighbour's evergreen hedge to your local Council.

The role of the Council is not to mediate or negotiate between the complainant and the hedge owner but to adjudicate whether the hedge is negatively affecting the complainant's reasonable enjoyment of their property. In doing so, the Council must take all relevant factors into account. It must strike a balance between the competing interests of the complainant and hedge owner, as well as the interests of the wider community.

If the circumstances justify it, the Council will issue a formal notice to the hedge owner, which will set out what they must do to the hedge to remedy the problem and when. Failure to carry out the works required is an offence which, on prosecution, could lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

If you wish to lodge a complaint about a high hedge it will cost £445 and is non refundable, even if the complaint is upheld.

Documents

• Guidance notes for completing the high hedge complaint form (PDF)
• High hedge complaint form (PDF)