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Worst hedge in Heathcote? |
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Credit: Author
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 Hedges are great, they give you privacy, their height can be adjusted to suit your situation and they don't need painting. They can also look neat and tidy, if you are prepared to cut them! As the owner of this hedge, I obviously have a problem. Is it the most overgrown hedge in Heathcote? If it isn't, let me know as the thought will make me feel better!
My excuse is hedges that are a long way from the house are a problem, joining short extension cords can burn out the motor of an electric hedge-cutter. So this problem has just been left to grow. Any property owner with a boundary onto a public footpath knows they have responsibilities to keep their trees, shrubs and hedges under control. I decided to phone the council to find out what would happen to me if I continued to let my hedge turn into a record-breaker. I was soon made aware of what would happen to pedestrians: broken glasses, eye injuries and the increased risks of having to walk on the road to get past. To avoid this, Graham Mather said that all trees and shrubs should be "trimmed back to the property boundary" to a height of 2.5m above the footpath and 5.0m above the roadway.
Okay, but imagine I decided the work of cutting was just too much. After all, I have a rugby game to watch. What would the council do then? They can't force me to cut it can they? I was told that a letter would be sent giving me 14 days to get the job done. If an inspection showed my hedge was still a hazard, I would get a notice of one month. After that, it would be done by a contractor with the bill sent to me afterwards.
 I asked what people should do when they see a hedge such as mine. Graham suggested an approach to the owner as the first resort and if that did not work, to phone the council to start the enforcement process. Well you won't catch me I'm afraid! A new 30 metre extension cord puts my hedge within reach, now I can just plug my hedge-cutter in and do the job whenever it's needed. Take a look at what it looks like now, quite a lot smarter don't you agree?
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