Annoying neighbours (diagram)

[Sendhelppls]

Disclaimer - I know they’ve done nothing illegal and I can’t do anything about it. Just inconsiderate and annoying.

I live in terraced housing. The road that runs parallel is also terraced housing. I have included a diagram to show the layout.
All of the back gardens of the houses behind us as far as I can see have hedges running along the back fences. The gardens are staggered (so mine and my next door neighbours dividing fence is in the middle of the garden behinds back fence if that makes sense, shown in diagram).
I’ve seen three grown men and also a woman who doesn’t really go in the garden (not sure of any kids). The men are in the garden all day every day. In the last few days they’ve decided to remove the hedges on the half of their back fence that go across the fence that’s between my garden and theirs. Then put a bbq in this section. Their garden is huge as I can now see right into it. Mine is quite small. So the last few days they’ve been peering into my garden over the top of their rather short back fence while standing around their bbq for hours.
It’s so annoying as I feel that I can’t enjoy the sun without these men looking at me. DH jetwashed our patio yesterday which was obviously quite loud but took less than ten minutes and as soon as he turned it on the neighbours head was over our fence looking. I’m tempted to not even bother getting the paddling pool out for DD2 seeing as they’ll be able to see her.
Also my downstairs toilet is at the back of my house and for some reason was built with a clear window which they can see into now and even more so at night so I’ve been weeing in the dark.
Why couldn’t they have just had their bbq somewhere else in their garden without putting it right where it’s invading my privacy? Do they not want their own privacy? As now me and DH have full view of their garden.

Confused now. Did they cut down a hedge in your neighbour's garden, or the hedge in their garden that is their side of their fence with your neighbours?

Surely if you want a hedge at the bottom of your garden for privacy, then you need to plant it in your own garden? Or put up a high fence in your own garden.

They can do whatever they like with their own fence and own hedge, and clearly they're not bothered by keeping their garden private.

You should put up your own fwnce for yourr own privacy and put opaque fablon film on the iside of the toilet widow or have a blind. They wer wrong to lean over the neighbours but thats not your business

typos sorry

We’re your neighbours not home? How did they not notice it being done?

I just don’t understand how people can be so thoughtless. Don’t put your trampoline - bbq or entertaining space as far away from your house as possible so it doesn’t annoy you but imposes on you ndn instead.

Have they cut down the wildlife corridor? How old are the houses. Some areas these corridors are protected.

Do you think they might be doing it intentionally to spy on neighbours? It doesn’t makes sense otherwise to do this. They’re removing their own privacy just as much as their neighbours. At any rate each time you catch them looking at make eye contact and don’t be the first to loo away. Especially while doing a wee.

Moon them when you use the loo.

Wow they sounds really weird and extremely nosy! When are your NDNs back?

I thought you weren't supposed to do anything to hedges at this time of year because of nesting birds. I'd check out the rules, they might have committed some heinous offence against the Wildlife and Countryside Act or something.

We won't touch ours before July, we have two robins' nests in it and loads of sparrows hopping in and out all day long.

They are not allowed to hack you ndn hedge down, that could be seen as criminal damage. They can only trim off the overhanging bits their side.
I would be sticking an 8foot fence up at the bottom plus film over the windows.

make some nettle fertilizer at the bottom of the garden....

mwah ha ha ....

They sound like monumental CF! But why haven't you asked them why they cut down your hedge? If you have seen them on more than one occasion already? It doesn't have to be confrontational but you could just say you feel like your privacy is being invaded?

Failing that, definitely put something up that is high enough to block them out again. Higher fence etc

We love in new build terraces with 4 ft fences as standard so can see in gardens but most of us have just put trellis etc up for privacy . But if it was three hedge tip take down there's not a lot you can do

Not all bamboo is invasive - there are two types; clumping and running.

The running stuff (as the name suggests) is the invasive kind. It can be controlled but it's quite a lot of work. Normally sold with 'phyllostachys' at the start of the plant name.

The clumping type (again, as the name suggests) grows in clumps. And if it comes up where you don't want it, you simply cut the shoot down to the ground and that's it. Normally sold with 'fargesia' at the start of the plant name.

Note that the majority of bamboo in B&Q and chain garden centres will be phyllostachys. You need to look online for fargesia (if you do I'd recommend Charella garden centre - I've bought bamboo from them on several occasions and they are very good).

However buying good bamboo is expensive and you need to wait for it to grow. Plus I would be wary of growing plants on that boundary if he's already shown himself to be scissor happy by cutting down a hedge that doesn't belong to him. I'd get a 2m fence put in with concrete posts and bases - look around locally as some firms are still working as they don't need to come into your house to do the work. If your boundary line is only small then it's a day's work to get the fence in.

I would get a 6ft fence put up immediately

This and while I was waiting I'd probably start cultivating a huge compost heap right at the back of my garden.

@Collaborate they’ve cut down my next door neighbours hedge which was in my next door neighbours garden. As in spent the day leant over my neighbours fence hacking away at his hedge until it’s just stumps

@LakieLady that’s a very good point, I’ve noticed some robins at the back of my garden but I don’t have any greenery there so I assume they were living in that hedge?

The last straw for me - was having a wee earlier, stood up to wipe (I am massively pregnant and can’t do it sat down anymore 🤦🏻‍♀️) happened to look out the window and behind neighbour is stood at his bedroom window staring into my bathroom. He saw me looking and quickly went behind his curtain. Disgusting

They sound charming. Patterned window film for the loo, there are some v pretty ones, or a blind. And trellis or 6feet screen panels, there are loads of different kinds & they're v cheap.

God they sound awful.
Either put up a 6 foot high wall, concrete the posts into the ground. Or use the bamboo screens as suggested as a temporary measure.
Once you have installed a 6 foot high fence. Grow climbing roses against in. That will make it less noisy and of course rises need lots of manure!!!!

Fence not wall. Although a wall would be ideal.

Can you check your deeds/covenants? It may well be that removal of these hedges is not permitted.

I understand completely as your lay out is very similar to mine. We have a trampoline where you have described which blocks out some view of our garden. I would get a high fence and double board it so they can’t see in.