To be pissed off that my neighbour has cut his road side hedge so short - I have no privacy

[bagpuss90]

So my neighbours hedge runs adjacent to the pavement , and my garden runs adjacent to his. He has had the road/pavement side hedge cut so short to like 4 foot , so everyone walking past can see into my garden . It’s my happy place and I feel robbed . I was out there this afternoon and it felt like everyone who walked past looked in my garden - I think it’s a natural reaction , I don’t take it personally! I have the grand kids out there in a paddling pool sometimes and don’t feel 100% happy doing that now. Also I’ve spent quite a lot on garden furniture and stuff this year - so I’m not happy with the security aspect either . I’m going to have to raise the fence between mine and his . I just don’t get why anyone would do that , as obviously he has no privacy now either. We do get on and I’m not going to fall out with him about it. But I’m still pissed off

YABU. It’s his hedge and maybe he favours light in his property over garden privacy.
I feel he could have mentioned it to you though.

Pruning times do depend on the plant, but with very few exceptions almost all plants are best pruned in winter when the risk of disease is less, the plant is dormant and the impact on wildlife is less. Trim the face of hedges to keep them neat in summer and prune hard to promote growth in winter. I trained with the RHS and that is what they recommend.

I reckon your hedge cutting guy probably tells all his clients that nesting ends in June in order to get work when it suits him. I hope he checks the hedge for nests before he starts work because it's illegal to disturb nesting wild birds in the UK.

There are blackbirds gathering nesting materials and making a nest in my hedge now in Somerset.

It isn't. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/birds-nests-and-nestboxes

Looking at the diagram, I think you’re cheeky.

This simply isn't true in the UK where there's no legal limit on hedge height.

You just need a higher fence. It can be 6 foot.

Have read your update: I can well imagine he is very annoyed! On the positive side the hedge will grow back, thicker and stronger but will take time depending on what it is... privet, escallonia etc.
Trellis meantime then, you will feel exposed otherwise!

@Vintagefair The advice from my rights of way section of my council says March to 31 July. I need to do some minor tree work regarding safety on a footpath and they have written that it’s illegal between March and 31 July. That’s different to the advice of a charity and it follows the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Hedging of longer lengths in fields should be later.

Highway authorities can ask for hedges to be reduced if they obstruct the vision of drivers.

It's not your neighbours responsibility to ensure privacy in YOUR garden.

My front hedges are 4 feet, they are a great height. I get privacy but also lots of light.

YABU to expect him to put your needs above his.

I guess the RSPB care more about the birds than your local council.

I would second the suggestion to add a layer of trellis to the top of your fence. It will be way cheaper than buying bigger panels and can look like a nice feature.
We had a slight gap between us and a neighbour at the end where we both emerged from our houses.
It stalled us into an awkward conversation with each other or visitors. We all got on very well but it was just a bit jarring. They put a layer of trellis up and passion flower which proliferated beautifully.
Don't panic. You can sort this out in a season.

This!

That's annoying for your neighbour if he didn't want it cutting that short. I'm with you, would much prefer some privacy in my garden, although it looks like it isn't a shared boundary hedge in your case, so it was always possible this may happen.

Next house I'm moving to, I'm having my own 6ft fences or hedges all the way around the house. My neighbour is a bit nuts about our shared boundary hedge. She told me she fell out with the lady who owned our house before us because she suddenly cut the hedge a lot shorter without speaking to her, so she lost her privacy. We told her we'd prefer to have a taller hedge, so let it grow and we'll pay for a gardener to cut both sides a couple of times a year. She insists on cutting it a bit shorter every other week including our side so we have zero privacy, then tells us we need to cut our side more frequently than every 6 weeks, because we're not maintaining it properly. Can't even get a gardener in to it because she bollocks them for leaving an odd leaf clipping and you don't see them again for dust (which she also does to us every time we cut it). Will be glad when we've moved house!

You can get ‘privacy trellis’ maybe
maybe your neighbour prefers light to privacy

So you expect him to maintain a higher outer hedge/fence while you only a 4 foot fence yourself between your two properties?

YABU

If you want more privacy, replace your own fence with something higher.

I’m going to have to raise the fence between mine and his

Do that

I would go to the garden centre and buy some 6foot tree stakes and staple a roll of trellis netting up, and while I was there I'd go buy a few fast growing climbers like passifloria and spend the rest of the summer training it up the trellis.

All the stakes need is hammering into the ground with a mallet. It's low effort and you get fast results.

Like you said you need to sort your fence now rather than expecting him to have his hedge at a height that suits you!

Oh dear so a gardener over pruned

it will grow and maybe a trellis between your and his

from your pic - thank you - mn love a diagram 😂😂

do your complaint is that a 5/6ft person will see over the 4ft fence and see you/kids relaxing /sunbathing

just add an trellis

Hedges shouldn’t be trimmed until 31st August (it used to be 31st July). There are exemptions if it borders a right of way or it is in a private garden.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hedgerow-management-rules-cutting-and-trimmingHedgerow management rules: cutting and trimming - GOV.UK

Could it be that the council havevtold him that his hedge is too high and is causing problems for visability of traffic coming round corners? I can envisage that being a valid reason for taking the action he has.

Why are some people so concerned that some of us like (or need) privacy for security and peace of mind?

Legitimately asking, as I can't understand why my preference for privacy would be annoying for someone else; it's my life and my home and I want to live there *as I choose." I really don't like the insinuation that there's something weird or wrong about introverted behavior, just as there's nothing strange about extroverts either.

This whole thread is weird.

Yes! And/or photos.