Removing a hedge.

DavidGiant

I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

Next to my house is a public footpath. Between the footpath and the edge of our house is a hedge. This hedge is a bit more than a metre wide and about 12 metres long. At the back of our house, further down the footpath are a bunch of brambles.

For the past 2 years I have kept the hedge and brambles under control. The council refuse to cut anything along the path as they say it isn't their responsibility.

Essentially I intend to cut down the hedge. Put a fence right up against the footpath and claim that metre or so of land. The hedge has always been awkward and costly to maintain and I want rid of it. However, I obviously don't want any fallout from this.

I spoke to the neighbour next door and he has no objections to a fence going up.

Who do I talk to about this? The council have been unhelpful. I am sure there is a process for this. I just don't understand what it is. Anyone have any experience of this?

PasturesNew

I'd urge you to re-think your strategy. Bushes > fences when it comes to nuisances that might occur along a public footpath. Nobody can graffitti a bush ... and it's harder to climb ... and if there's any "late night pushing and shoving" it'll not matter.

If I were you I'd think about just thinning it back some ... rather than open the can of worms that is "fences" and "footpaths".

I'd swap all my fences for bushes in a heartbeat... preferably prickly ones