Making a formal complaint
Before making a complaint, make sure you have done everything you can to resolve the problem yourself. You will need to prove this to us.
If talking to or writing to your neighbour doesn't solve the issue, you can make a formal complaint.
Use the High Hedges Complaint Form to submit a complaint to the Council about a high hedge. It should be completed by the person making the complaint or their representative. You can find this form in the Download section.
The High Hedges Complaints Form Guidance provides help on submitting your complaint. You can find this in the Downloads section.
If you are still unsure how to answer any of the questions, please email Environmental Health
It is important to include a map/sketch of the layout of your garden and the position of the hedge and your house.
Cost
The fee to make a complaint is £350.
Processing the complaint
We will check that we have everything we need to look at your complaint. This includes:
- your form(s),
- the fee
- the details of your negotiations
If everything is right, we will:
- invite your neighbour to respond to the complaint
- visit to measure the hedge, measure your garden and take photographs
We will take account of all relevant factors between
- the interests of you, the complainant
- the interests of your neighbour, the hedge owner
- the interests of the wider community
We do not act as a negotiator between you and your neighbour. We decide whether the hedge is affecting your reasonable enjoyment of your home.