High Hedge Complaints Advice 

From 1 June 2005 you will be able to make a complaint to the District Council about a high hedge.

For a complaint to be valid the following four conditions will all need to be met:

• The complaint is about an evergreen hedge, consisting of at least two trees or plants, and which is at least 2 metres in height;

• The hedge must act as a barrier to light or access and must in some way be affecting your enjoyment of your house or garden;

• You must have evidence that you have tried to resolve your problem directly with the owner of the hedge, unsuccessfully, and;

• The complaint will need to be accompanied by a fee of £300 (cheques should be made payable to Babergh District Council).

Once we receive your complaint we will inspect the site and come to a decision as to whether any action is justified; the most that can be required in any notice we serve is that the hedge is reduced to a height of not more than 2 metres and maintained at that height.

Both the complainant and the owner of the hedge have the right to appeal against our decision.

The following link provides access to information on High Hedges on the ODPM website: