Garden backing on to a playing field...HELP

[Psipsina]

We moved in the winter when the field was deserted but now it seems to be a magnet for hooded youth.

They come and play football which intimidates the children, so they don't want to go out there - they also leave rubbish, broken bottles, etc.

We have a 6ft standard fence but I'm increasingly understanding why both sides of us have very high trees/hedges.

What can I put there in order to a) block the view of said youth, b) discourage them from trying to climb into our garden if they lose their ball?

I've put in some blackthorn but these are still small, I think I need a fast growing, prickly sort of plant, combined with rotating barbed wire or something.

Any ideas or tips welcome

Oh lovely list, thankyou!

Specialsubject - crikey, I didn't know that. I'm afraid if anything that encourages me to keep it there. It's outside our fence on the verge, so my children aren't exposed to it and it isn't on the playing field as such - it's sort of like, our back fence, then a small verge, (which is all brambles and wild trees all the way along, including some blackthorn - but our bit was rather bare for some reason) then a rough pebbly road, where people park their cars (sometimes with loud music on) and then a small fence and then the field.

So no one will be at risk from the blackthorn unless they try to climb our fence iyswim.

The other side of the field backs straight on to gardens and there's plenty of it there too.
I've discussed it with the people that own it and they are fine with my planting it there, and helped me clear away some concrete bits and so on so that I could get on with it.
I don't want anyone to die of blood poisoning on my account but I think if the plant is prolific already, it's not going to increase the risk very much.

We used to live in a house with a 90ft back garden that backed onto playing fields.

We all used to have fences plus a gate so we had access to the field but two homeowners complained to the council and they erected a six foot spiky fence the full length of the field so we ended up with double fencing (plus a four foot banking of stinging nettles)

Actually reading up on it, you may be right. It does sound vicious.

Oh dear.

Hawthorn is better I think? I already have a hawthorn tree on the inside of the fence so may get some more of that instead.

Back to the drawing board...

Nettles sounds Ok. I thought about having a gate there initially but now I'm glad we didn't go for that.

aha - if your kids aren't going to fall into the blackthorn I'd leave it. If it is only in an area where people shouldn't be, that's fine.

we are in the process of eradicating it from our garden!

Well initially I had planned to have some in the garden, so I am glad you told me it was fairly dangerous as I might not have realised. I will certainly be warning ds1 not to try and climb over it, if we leave it there.

Who owns the field?
Write to the owners and request that they bring anti social behaviour under control.
They have a legal duty not to allow nuisance to adjacent landowners - it may be that your letter is the trigger they need to get on with it.

If they are a Parish Council, District Council or Charity I can find you the legislative links.

Thank you Talk, that's really kind. I've been referring to the 'owners' but they are a club who lease it from the council.

I had email contact with them last year when we hadn't moved in and they said it was an ongoing issue and they could do nothing about it.

I kind of dispute that really as there must be something...it's open to the public in effect as there is no gate. People just wander in, or drive in. They tried putting a gate across the entrance but apparently the other residents in our street got angry and someone cut the lock so they could continue to park there, which they have legally no right to do.

Bit bizarre. I spoke to the council and they didn't seem to know anything about it except to say it was the responsibility of the group who were leasing it, to keep it trouble free.

It's a complicated issue. There are different areas and the field is the largest and is not used by the club any more due to disrepair. It may be re-leased in a few years when their lease is up.

Council are talking bilge.
They are the landowner.
Club are talking bilge.
By allowing nuisance, they are damaging the property they are leasing from the council.

FOI the lease and the correspondence file.
Once you have it, get a legal minded friend to check the repairing / maintenance basis of the lease.

Which type of council and I'll get the clause they are breaking.

You do not need to enforce : just get the information out into the open and then let the local press loose

I'd recommend pyracantha too. Had it on a house of mine. It looked good but you wouldn't want to fall in it. Grows quickly.

We back onto a playing field. After five attempted break ins we got a six foot fence with a foot of trellis on top as recommended by the Police. Apparently burglars won't cross trellis as it makes too much noise and usually breaks. No problems since (touches wood).

Crikey Coola - that's quite scary! I have got some trellis but am still figuring out how to attach it.

Talk, thank you very much. It's part of a city council (we are not in the city but nearest town and are part of the same authority).

I don't want to fall out with the club but someone needs to maintain the land. There are high fences all round it except for this side, and they have all fallen into disrepair, the astroturf is breaking up and covered in stones and sand. The club sec said that no one will ever sort it out as it would cost half a million for the surfacing alone.

They did want to build on it a few years ago which would be an awful shame as it's been a recreation ground since the turn of the century when the houses were built.

Trying to think of the best outcome but I'm not sure if there is one iyswim!

Thank you Hope for another pyracantha vote

TalkinHead's approach sounds better for the longer-term and likely to benefit more people (and the value of your property).

Yes perhaps I will talk to the neighbours about it and see if I can get anyone on side. I've found some metal fence post extension things which will slide into the edge of the concrete posts, and support trellis panels - this might be the answer temporarily at least.

Combined with a very thorny rambling rose and a pyracantha and another tree or two

perhaps add nettles on the verge side of your fence?

Nettles are fantastic for wildlife. Some butterfly species can only breed on nettles (caterpillar food), and due to weed control policies they are getting less and less common.