‘Our neighbours paved over their backyard for automobiles and now demand we reduce our entrance hedge down’

People living next door to homeowner claim they can’t see up the road to pull all their cars off their new driveway

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A homeowner has revealed that their neighbour demanded they trim their front hedge – immediately after moving in. The homeowner stated the new occupants had complained it was too high – and legally, they were obliged to cut it.

The reason being, they argue it obstructs their view of the road when they pull out. On Reddit, the individual shared: “My new next door neighbours, on my left side, have recently added a new driveway. They are complaining that my front hedge is blocking their view of the road when they are pulling off the drive, and that legally it is too high and needs cutting back/down.

“I really don’t want to lose my hedge, but have found conflicting advice online. Can someone help me out please? England.”

Official regulations state that in England, rear garden fences can be up to 2 metres high without planning permission; front garden fences adjacent to a highway are limited to 1 metre. However, those responding on Reddit said this didn’t apply to hedges.

One person commented: “Hedges at the front don’t have height limits that’s fences. There is an expectation it shouldn’t be over 2M but AFAIK that relates to blocking light and reasonable enjoyment of their garden. I believe they can complain to the council about visibility but they’re unlikely to get involved in this level of access dispute. Also how is it blocking their view – is it something you can work with or they want to basically see through your front garden?”

READ MORE: Legal rights explained when a neighbour keeps using your parking space

The homeowner revealed that as soon as the people moved in they cleared out the front garden and created space for three cars. They said: “I honestly don’t mind trimming it, it needs it, just not got round to it and don’t want to upset any birds at this time of year, but they seem to want it removed, or cutting down so low it wont be worth having if they need to see while seated.

“The dropped curb was put in before they, or even I moved in, but like you say, all that was already there. The dropped curb is right next to my holly tree on the left, enough for one car, what these guys have done is remove all the front wall of their property, so now they can fit 3 cars on and all drive off facing forward. They haven’t had the dropped curb extended, though; they drive over the curb.”

Another responded: “Do the neighbours have a dropped kerb? If not, they’re committing an offence each time they use the drive. Regarding the hedge, so long as it’s not obstructing the pavement, it’s not as big an issue as they’re making it out to be.”

The crucial point is not having a dropped kerb regarding the neighbours, a user explained: “Assuming they had a new dropped kerb for their new drive, the neighbours must have their drive assessed by the council who would risk assess it before granting permission.

“Your hedge will have been taken into account. It needs a trim, be a good neighbour and give it a trim (outside bird breeding season). if they have a problem with the driveway approval risk assessment, they need to take it up with the council (which would be counter to their interests). if they didn’t get it approved in the first place then they will shut up.”

Any disagreement would need to be evaluated by the local authority but there isn’t a strict law on front garden hedges.