To build a fence and chop their hedge.

[Sportynotspice]

There's a laurel hedge between our garden and next doors and it's only 5 foot at its highest; the garden slopes towards the back so there are sections even shorter and we can see straight into next doors garden and theirs ours. We have asked them politely to allow us to grow the hedge up as we'd like more privacy but they have refused and continued to cut the hedge ever shorter. They have extra long hedge trimmers and cut our half as well because apparently the previous owners never kept it neat enough for their liking and never protested when they started taking over the trimming. We've been polite but very clear that we don't like the height and would like it to grow up an extra foot but they have once again cut it too short and cut our side. The hedge actually sits much more into our boundary than theirs so DH, who has reached his final straw after coming home to yet another few inches off the hedge tonight, has declared he's ordering fence panels this weekend, chopping the hedge back right to the boundary and putting up the fence. The hedge will look utterly rubbish on their side because of how little actually encroaches their side of the boundary so I said to DH maybe we should just build the fence from when the hedge finishes now but DH, rightly, points out that means we lose a foot of our garden because the hedge takes up so much space as it is. As we have tried to be reasonable with them, DH doesn't care about upsetting them by chopping back so much of the hedge.
We have only lived here 9 months and they have been here 20 years plus and their argument for not letting the hedge grow is this is how its always been and no one that's lived here before has ever had an issue with it. But this is our home now and I really don't think it's unreasonable to have a proper barrier between our garden and next doors!
I will go speak to them tomorrow to advise that this is what we are going to do but we're not asking permission, just informing as a courtesy. Are we being unreasonable? I don't think they've really left us much more choice.

I am woth your DH even though that I like green, but if they don't let you grow it, there is not much else to do

YANBU

We have a similar problem - a large hedge which takes up quite a lot of our garden and is not to our liking. But next door neighbour loves it and kicked up a stink when we asked if we could replace it with a fence. Its entirely on our side of the boundary so we would be well within our rights to do so, but we decided not to in order to keep him sweet (same situation, he has lived there X many years longer than us)

However keeping up "neighbourly relations" kind of goes out the window when they're completely ignoring your reasonable request to have the hedge a bit taller, so I don't think you're unreasonable

Who owns the hedge? If it’s yours dig it out and replace with a fence. If it’s theirs, you can’t do anything.

I don't actually know who owns the hedge but 3/4 of it is on our land so does it matter if they own it? We're surely without our rights to tell them they can't store their hedge in our garden? We're not suggesting digging it up, just cutting it right back to the boundary line. They can keep the bit on their land.

Let them know. They can't expect everything to stay the same constantly for their whole lives. People like this are mad. If they are that hateful of change, go live on a bloody island by themselves, then they have completely control.

That can't be true though can it? You must be able to cut back something growing on your property, just as you can with an over hanging tree.

Check your boundary with land registry, it won't cost much.
Laurel is very vigorous so don't worry about cutting it right back.
Put your own fence up and, hopefully, you should be ok.

Gosh, you’re brave 😂

Is it planted on their side of the boundary? But it's just more full on your side as it iant being cut back?

If it is planted on their side then they wont lose it. Cut it back to the boundary line and build your fence just inside the boundary line on your side. Job done.

If the hedge is planted on your side of the boundary then you're still going to lose some garden if you leave it for them. Just need to decide if you're leaving it in or digging it out.

@5superram

Yes they can. They can cut back whatever parts of the hedge are overhanging the boundary line.

Sure you can cut whatever is over your boundary

It doesn’t sound like they’ve been very neighbourly when you’ve asked them to not trim your side. So I would personally advise them that is your plan - that you aren’t removing it, just trimming back and erecting a fence for privacy.

The only issue you might have is the hedge pushing back on your fence as it grows.

I'm with your DH on this. Cut it back or down and build the fence.

I would let them know. We had this when we converted some of our front garden to a driveway. Last next door didn't want her hedge removed - it was hers. We cut it back to the boundary. Took about a third off. It was fine.

You are within your rights to cut it back and put a fence in but l would tell them out of courtesy.

Are they a bit older? I.e. they might not be able to reach and manage a hedge that's high for them. Perhaps you could offer to maintain the hedge

Check your deeds or with the land registry to check who owns it! I've just been through this exact scenario!

We recently bought a house with a laurel hedge forming part of the boundary, instead of a fence. We discussed with the neighbours, but they were very happy to have a fence. In our case though, the roots originated from our side, so even if we'd wanted to leave the hedge for their side, and fence our side, it wouldn't have worked.

IF the hedge is indeed yours, once you trim the laurel trunk down to ground level, hire a stump grinder to reduce it even more. We were advised by the fencing company, NOT to pull or dig out the actual stumps so close to the fence line, but instead grind down. The fencer said that no matter how much earth you try to pack in after removing trunks, it will always take time to settle, so you might end up with the fence sinking on that side in time. Better to leave the root in and just grind it down.

IF you don't own the fenceline, I'd trim the hedge as far back to the actual boundary, then put up your own fencing, on your side. Or, put a trellis and vines up that side, or something fast growing in trough pots running along the fenceline.

I would leave the hedge. Just because hedges are so much nicer to look at than fences, support more wildlife, allow access for things like hedgehogs too

I'd rack up a hedge or plant a 6 foot hedge on your side and tell them not to touch it ! I painted a 6 foot hedge between my and neighbours driveway and it's perfect for privacy and my land so I can choose the height .

I would tell them first and let them make the decision, either they let it grow to 8 foot or you chop it down and put up a fence+trellis.

Presumably the nicest outcome for you would be a higher, thinner hedge. And they would also prefer this to a fence I would hope.

Chop right back to the boundary and put up a fence / I’d just do it without talking to them at all

Ownership of the edge is irrelevant you are quite within your rights to cut it back to the boundary this also applies to trees, as long as you don’t endanger the plant/tree there is nothing they can do, you just need to offer them the trimmings back and dispose of them if they don’t want them, I’m with your partner you need to put something up for more privacy, as a courtesy I would tell them this is happening just to be neighbourly but there is no requirement to say anything

Put the fence up you are well within your rights. And maybe I'm just in a bad mood but I wouldn't even say anything. They haven't exactly been neighbourly so sod them.

I wonder where the roots are? Might be its not even their hedge at all if the roots are on your side of the boundary? Dig the fucker up!!

Actually ownership could be relevant in your case, if you own the edge they are only entitled to cut their side and not the top so you can tell them to stop cutting the top out of it, or for a quiet life as above put the fence up

@StoneofDestiny

Chop right back to the boundary and put up a fence / I’d just do it without talking to them at all

I wouldnt tell them either. Just cut it and put up fence