Hedges

Information on hedges including what to do if you think that a high hedge is harming the enjoyment of your property, home or garden, as well as maintaining hedges next to the public highway (including farmland).

Hedges on domestic land

Property owners are responsible for looking after a hedge on their land and for making sure it’s not a nuisance to anyone.

If you have a problem with a hedge on someone’s property, we recommend that you discuss the matter with the owner before making a complaint to us.

There is guidance available from gov.uk on how to discuss a problem about a hedge.

View Guidance: Over the garden hedge (external website)

Maintaining hedges next to the public highway (including farmland)

The owner of land next to the highway is responsible for hedges and hedgerow trees that border it. Landowners have a duty of care to regularly inspect and maintain them. Please keep the following in mind:

  • we advise cutting the hedges in autumn or winter in a safe and timely manner
  • cutting should be done at quiet times of the day if possible to minimise inconvenience to other road users
  • set up appropriate reflective signage when farming operations affect the highway
  • be mindful of existing signage and if any are knocked or moved, ensure they’re put back properly right away
  • consideration should be given to natural habitats such as nesting birds within the hedges and wildflower meadows
  • all cuttings must be removed from the highway, footways and ditches as soon as possible as failure to do so is an offence under the Highways Act 1980 (external website) and removal costs may be charged to the landowner

Make a complaint or report a problem about a hedge

You can report the following to us:

  • complaints about high hedges
  • overgrown hedges at a junction
  • hedge cuttings on a cycleway

Select one of the following headings to find out more information and how to make a complaint or report a problem about a hedge.

High hedges

Under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, we deal with complaints where high hedges are:

  • acting to some degree as a barrier to light or views
  • made up of 2 or more trees or shrubs
  • mostly evergreen or semi evergreen
  • more than 2 metres tall

We cannot investigate individual shrubs or trees, or where roots of hedges are causing damage.

Fee

The fee for us to investigate a complaint about a high hedge is £240. This fee is non-refundable.

Make a complaint about a high hedge

Before making a complaint about a high hedge, please remember:

  • we recommend that you try to solve the problem with the owner first
  • we may decline a complaint that we consider to be vexatious or if all reasonable steps to resolve the issue have not been taken before making a complaint
  • we will not investigate anonymous complaints

You will need to complete a high hedge investigation application form if you would like to make a complaint about a high hedge.

High hedge investigation application form (PDF, 200KB)

What happens after making a complaint?

After receiving a high hedge investigation application form, we will make a decision on whether or not we will investigate the complaint.

When a decision is made, we will inform both the complainant and the hedge owner.

Investigating a complaint

If we decide to investigate a complaint, we work out whether or not the height of the hedge is causing light loss to a property.

Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 gives us a legal power to enter onto a property to investigate a high hedge complaint.

There will be no time limit on when we must reach a decision. Our decision, together with the reasons for it will be sent to both the complainant and the hedge owner.

Remedial notice

If needed, we will issue a ‘remedial notice’ to the hedge owner. This will usually set out what remedial action is required and the penalties that the hedge owner will incur if they fail to comply with the notice’s requirements.

The notice becomes a charge on the property and legal obligations under such a notice pass on to any subsequent owners.

Appeals

Any appeal by the hedge owner against a remedial notice must be made in writing and sent to the Welsh Government within 28 days of the notice being served.

The complainant may appeal to the Welsh Government if we decide not to issue a remedial notice or we issue and then withdraw a notice.

Either party may appeal on the grounds that the requirements are either too much or not enough.

How to appeal

If you would like to appeal, you will need to complete a High hedges appeal form.

Visit gov.wales to download an appeal form (external website)

Problems with hedges on a cycleway or junction

You can report an overgrown hedge at a junction or hedge cuttings on a cycleway through our report a problem with grass trees or hedges online form.

Report a problem with grass trees or hedges online.

Hazards on the road

If there is a hedge causing a hazard on the road, you can report it to us through the report a hazard on the road online form.

Report a hazard on the road online