Can I remove plants on a shared access path legally?

[Venusisthebest]

Am I allowed to trim back overgrown foliage on a shared access path which goes through my neighbours property? Anyone know the legal implications (if any) if I did this?

This is what the access is for. It's completely normal to use it.

If you are at the end of the row why can you not take bins out from your end rather than having to walk through everyone else's garden?

@Surprisingmyself yes I'm the only neighbour that has access to this bit of path in question. The rest of the path which is used by all of us in the row is kept completely clear and never had any problems.

So this overgrown bit is what… 5 meters long? And you walk it… once a week? Once a fortnight?

How long ago did you move in? How come you don’t get on well with them? What’s the backstory?

@letmebetheone the only way to get my bins out front on bin day is through this back path that goes through neighbours gardens. It's the only access to my back garden other than through my actual house!

@Surprisingmyself probably a few feet long, not much. But I go through it multiple times a day, not just for bins. The reasons why is not important, I have right of access. I was originally asking what would happen if I did cut it. The backstory is a long one which I'm not going to go into here, I could say a lot about these neighbours but I won't as it isn't relevant to this question. I want to be objective, stick to facts and know my legal standpoint.

Does this help for others that can’t picture the set up? The red line is your garden gate, your only access at the rear of the house. The overgrown bushes run along number 4’s path, so blocking your access, but no one else’s.

Quite usual in some places @Barethe , especially older terraces. I’ve lived in a Georgian terrace like this with a small yard attached to the houses and the gardens across the shared lane I looked to buy a large Victorian terrace with the same. Some of the tiny fisherman’s cottages along a local harbour also have this shared access arrangement at the back of them.

How long have the pair of you been neighbours? And what’s gone down for you to have a bad relationship?

Can’t understand why you’d go
down it multiple times a day. It’s for your bins. what else?

@BetterToBe yes that's pretty much it! Thank you 😂

@Surprisingmyself it's my main entrance, as we use the back door as our main door. Same as everyone else around here, including all my neighbours!

You really Don’t want to say why existing relations are so poor!

ok moving on… how long have you lived there?

Rather than walk out your front door… you choose to walk along a path at the back of this row of terraces to get out? Where is your car parked?

I just dont understand why you would use it, how annoying to have to carry everything all that way when presumably you park at the front. Makes no sense. However I would jus5 cut it myself, I did today, my neighbours hedge was proper hanging over onto my parking area. I just lopped itoff this afternoon. It took me two trips to the tip to get rid of the cutting so there was a lot. Never crossed my mind to ask permission it was blocking light onto my bedroom and awkward to park.

I think they are obliged to keep the entry way clear.
Possibly put in writing that you have requested for them to trim the hedges etc by a certain date. If they don't, you trim them and return trimmings to them to deal with.

@Doggymummar @Surprisingmyself as I've said before, no one uses their front door here. The front door goes straight into the living room, there is no hallway or front porch. I also don't have a driveway so I could be parked on a different street, walking a few extra metres around the back makes little difference!

How long have you been neighbours??????

@Venusisthebest This is common in Victorian terraces in cities. One central alleyway often serves 6 houses and for the middle and outer ones, the access to the back door and garden is through the gardens of neighbours via the alleyway. Pretty standard and standard to keep it clear.

Im not sure about rights but a solicitor would definitively know. It won’t be the first or last time this has happened.

Many houses like this have the sitting room at the front and the front door going straight into that room directly from the street. Often no hall. So bins are always accessed from the back path. Solely using the front door isn’t feasible.

You keep asking this question, but I really don't see the relevance.

It really doesn't matter if the OP has lived there for 6 months or 10 years.

A previous poster suggested taking secateurs whenever she passed by and removing a couple of the encroaching branches each time - which sounds a reasonable thing to do.

Just trim the overgrown plants. They are bullying you by purposely letting the path be difficult to walk through.There will be no legal repercussions if you trimmed the plants so it is safe for you to walk down. It's a shared path. It has to be clear of obstructions.

You already have a poor relationship with your neighbours - they sound obstinate and spiteful. Don't let them bully you. If they become nasty over this, just tell them that you had to clear path for your own safety.

OP this is the answer you should take notice of.
I believe this poster is knowledgeable in areas of actual law.

I think getting the neighbour’s deeds is a good first step, just in case they don’t own it either, it’s only about £3 from the land registry (we have a shared path with a group of neighbours that we all have right of way on but none of us actually own).

If it’s a hedge that you want to cut back, is it possible that there are birds nesting in it and that’s why they won’t cut it back? It’s generally not advised to cut back hedges during breeding season.

Have they only recently started to neglect it?