Will my hedge grow back?

JG0

The council have done a horrible hack job on my hedge (it's my property, not council owned). It's a hedge that shields my front garden from a public path, so it's particularly annoying.

I've posted some images below, is it feasible that it will grow back? They cut it at the start of March. You can see a comparison to how it was, and should be, to the left of my hedge, in the first image:







Thanks for any help and advice.

Farway

Hard to say, what is the hedge? Holly? Privet? Mixed natives?

Davesnave

I'll stick my neck out and say it's cotoneaster.

Will it grow back? Almost certainly....eventually.

The council are entitled to cut the stems back to the boundary, wherever that is, and it seems they think it's the edge of the footpath.  If it is, then whoever planted the hedge placed it too close to the public right of way, hindering couples walking arm in arm, governesses with large perambulators and persons with an unsteady gait.

PS If it is privet it'll still be OK, probably more so.

Apodemus

It looks as if there is still plenty of growth on your side, so my guess would be that it will recover.  Once the risk of frost is past, I'd trim the top to encourage more new growth lower down.

To be fair to the Council, it looks as if that section had been allowed to overgrow and obstruct the path (including the water stop-valve), so probably long overdue for a trim (which was probably your responsibility). 

justwhat

Why didn't you cut it ??
 
one on other side is nice and tidy....

twopenny

I was wondering the same.

If it had been regularly trimmed it would have been a denser hedge and given you privacy from the house side

You can see from the marking on the pavement and the size of the branches that it had grown right out obstructing the path over a period of some time so they are entitled to cut it back.

However they should have sent you a letter giving you the option to cut it back or get someone to do it. I had this problem with mine though nowhere near as bad as this.

They can also charge you for the process. If you haven't had that letter it may be as well to keep quiet or they may enforce the payment.

The hedge will grown again but to give you privacy you'll need to snip the shoots as they grow to get them to branch out and thicken the hedge.

-taff

JG0 said:

The council have done a horrible hack job on my hedge (it's my property, not council owned). It's a hedge that shields my front garden from a public path, so it's particularly annoying.

Probably no more annoying than the council having to cut back a hedge that encroaches on a public path. You can see from the difference in colour of the path how much it was encroaching. There was barely a foot of pathway left. Time to start trainig it to grow inwards, not outwards.

Davesnave

justwhat said:

Why didn't you cut it ??
 
one on other side is nice and tidy....

I expect that's the neighbour's hedge, which hasn't required the council to spend public money reducing it, but regardless, it's clear where the hedge under discussion was and that it's remained uncontrolled for some time.

The OP should be pleased if they don't receive a bill. I have about 250metres of hedge next to a public road, and like all other people in similar circumstances, I know if it's not cut back hard by late winter the council will do the job and send me the bill. I much prefer to get a guy with a tractor in for £70 than take a punt on the odds of the council contractors being cheaper. (probably much the same as the Lottery!)

donemedosh

In answer to your question will it grow back. I would say yes it has been cut back early enough for it to start growing back. I would now start to cut out all the old deadwood & clear away the rubbish from around the base of the plants. Give it a good feed with a gen feed & then as others have said prune it 3 or 4 times a year to stop it covering the path.