What can I do about a neighbour's high hedge?

In England, councils can only act on evergreen hedges over 2m if informal talks fail; deciduous hedges and single trees are different.

HH-01The short answerIt depends. You can't force a neighbour to cut a hedge yourself, but if it's a tall evergreen hedge genuinely harming your enjoyment of your home, your council can step in as a last resort. This only works for hedges that meet a specific legal definition, and only after you've tried to sort it out directly first.

HH-02Check which part of the UK you're inThis guide covers England first. The same legal process also applies in Wales, but Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate systems, covered in the last step. Your council area is the one that decides a high hedge complaint.

HH-03Check it meets the legal definition of a 'high hedge'The law only covers a line of two or more evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs that forms a barrier to light or access and is over 2 metres tall. A single tree, a deciduous hedge (one that loses its leaves), or a hedge under 2 metres doesn't qualify under this process. The council judges whether the hedge is unreasonably affecting your enjoyment of your property, not just whether you dislike it.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Only hedges meeting this legal definition can be the subject of a formal high hedge complaint.

HH-04Know the exceptions that change the answerOverhanging branches from any tree or hedge are a separate matter: you can usually cut them back to the boundary line yourself without asking, as long as you don't go onto your neighbour's land, you don't kill the tree, and it isn't protected by a Tree Preservation Order or a conservation area. Offer the cuttings back to your neighbour. If you're in a flat, maisonette, or the hedge is on land covered by a conservation area, Tree Preservation Order, or a covenant, extra rules may apply before anything is touched. Councils also expect you to show you've tried to resolve things directly with your neighbour, or through mediation, before they'll open a formal case.

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Councils can refuse to investigate if you haven't first made a reasonable attempt to resolve the problem informally.

HH-05This isn't planning permission or Building RegulationsNeither planning permission nor Building Regulations decides this. It's dealt with under the high hedges complaint procedure, part of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, handled by your local council's planning or environmental health team. If the hedge is also within a conservation area or protected by a Tree Preservation Order, separate tree rules can apply on top, so check both.

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The high hedges complaint procedure is a statutory process under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

HH-06Who to ask and howStart with your council's high hedges or environmental health team; GOV.UK has guidance on the process and what evidence to gather. Many councils expect written proof of your attempts to resolve it informally, such as letters or mediation records. For a dispute about where the boundary actually is, a solicitor dealing with property or neighbour law is the right route instead.

HH-07Costs and timescalesMost councils charge a fee to formally investigate a high hedge complaint, often several hundred pounds, and this varies by council, so check their website first. A case can take a few months from complaint to decision, longer if the council needs a site visit or the neighbour appeals. Mediation, if offered, is usually cheaper and faster than the formal route.

HH-08What happens if you skip the proper processCutting a neighbour's hedge yourself without agreement, or going beyond the boundary line, can itself cause legal problems. If the council upholds a complaint, it issues a remedial notice telling the owner to cut the hedge down to a set height and keep it there. It won't make them remove it, or cut it below 2 metres. Ignoring the notice is an offence, and the council can do the work itself and recover the cost. Unresolved hedge disputes can also complicate selling your home, as buyers' solicitors often ask about ongoing neighbour issues.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Failing to comply with a council remedial notice on a high hedge is a criminal offence.

HH-09If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern IrelandIn Wales, the same high hedges process under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 applies, run by your local council. In Scotland, a similar but separate high hedges process exists under its own legislation; check mygov.scot for how to complain and current fees. In Northern Ireland, high hedges complaints are handled locally too, but the rules differ; check nidirect for the correct process and contacts.

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