Guides · Hedge height

What the law actually says about hedge height.

Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 gives councils the power to act on a complaint about a high hedge, but it only applies to evergreen or semi-evergreen hedges over two metres that are blocking light or access to a neighbouring property. It is a last resort, not a first step.

Before it gets anywhere near the council

Local authorities charge a fee to investigate a high hedge complaint and expect to see evidence that you tried to resolve it directly first. In practice that means a conversation, ideally in writing (an email is enough) setting out what's bothering you and what you'd like done.

What "unreasonable" actually means in practice

The guidance councils use asks whether the hedge is causing a genuine, reasonable loss of light or access, not just that a neighbour would prefer it shorter. A two-and-a-half-metre leylandii hedge blocking a kitchen window all day is a stronger case than the same hedge along a side return that gets little direct light anyway.

Keeping it from ever getting there

Most disputes we've seen locally were avoidable with one conversation before the hedge got to head height, not after. If you're planting a new boundary hedge, agreeing a maintained height with your neighbour at the start costs nothing and saves a lot of goodwill later.