Find out what you should do if you feel someone's hedge is blocking light or reducing the enjoyment of your home or garden.
Information about high hedges
Learn what defines a hedge problem, and how you can find a solution on the GOV.UK website
Requirements of a high hedge complaint
You must be the owner or occupier/ tenant of the property affected by the hedge.
You also need to have tried to resolve the situation yourself before contacting the council.
Making a complaint to the council costs £265.
To make a complaint the hedge needs to be:
- more than two metres in height
- on residential property
- growing on land owned by someone else
- made up of a line of two or more trees/shrubs
- mostly evergreen or semi-evergreen
- obstructing light or views - even if there are gaps in the foliage or between the trees/shrubs
See what powers the local authority has, and what you can make a complaint about on the GOV.UK website
How to make a high hedge complaint
If you've read all the requirements and you can show you've tried to resolve the issue yourself, you can report the hedge online.
It costs £265 to make a complaint.
This fee is non-refundable, even if you're successful, or you don't fulfill all the criteria for a formal complaint.
You'll be contacted within 5 working days of your application.
There is no legal time requirement for decisions, but we try to investigate and give you feedback within 3 months.
