Garden Hedge & Public Footpath

tessy_t

I have quite a large hedge bordering my garden which seperates my garden space from a public footpath. The hedge is about 8 ft high in some places and about 120ft long. My question is, because the hedge borders the public footpath, am I responsible for maintaining the side on the public footpath or should the council be responsible for this? Before I moved into the house it was not properly lived in for about 10 years and I wonder how the hedge was maintained during this time. I cut the hedge twice last year (both sides) which meant a whole weekend dedicated to doing just that and not much else! so if I could find out about the council actually being responsible for this I would be quite pleased.

TomsMom

I think the people to ask are the council.

My first thought was that as it is your hedge then it is your responsibility as it borders a public footpath. If it bordered a neighbour's garden then the neighbour would probably trim it (as we did at our last house, neighbour's hedge but we trimmed it our side).

I'm thinking that in this litigous society we live in if someone using the footpath was hurt in any way from your overgrown hedge (scratched, eye poked out - OK a bit over the top buy you know what I mean :rotfl: ), then as it's your hedge they'd probably look into sueing you.

I think you need to take proper advice here to get a definitive answer. If the council say they are responsible for trimming it then I'd go as far as asking them to put it in writing.

tessy_t

Thanks Tomsmom, as you say if it bordered a neighbours garden then they would normally have the responsibility of trimming the hedge, in this case my neighbhour is the council from my point of view. I will attempt to phone the council, I can only imagine how many departments i will have to go through before I get a relevant answer!

latecomer

Its almost certainly your responsibility. A friend of mine had a bush in his front garden that was growing over the fence and protruding approx 6 inches over a pavement. He received a letter from the council giving a number of days to trim it back to within his boundary before they would do it and send a bill for the work.

robv_3

Its up to you. If it is seen to obstruct the path the council will warn you to cut it or they will at your experience.

puddy

and your expense

loracan1

I too have a hedge at the front of the house - I've never for a second considered it to be anyone else's responsibility, have I got it wrong for the last 17 years?

LandyAndy

loracan1 wrote: »

I too have a hedge at the front of the house - I've never for a second considered it to be anyone else's responsibility, have I got it wrong for the last 17 years?

No.:rotfl:

I have the same. Of course it's my responsibility to stop it obstructing the pavement.

tessy_t

LandyAndy wrote: »

No.:rotfl:

I have the same. Of course it's my responsibility to stop it obstructing the pavement.

It's not a pavement, it's a public footpath.

I love a bit of sarcasm in the morning.

27col

Round our way you are likely to get a letter from the council through the door telling you to remove the obstruction. ie; trim the hedge. We got one about overhanging branches.

Emilio_2

I think that it is the duty of the city council to maintain the foot path. But it is better that you do it because you never know how they are going to maintain it, they might not trim it properly and because of this your property will look ugly.