Trim your bushes please

[Louisa]

OK this has been getting on my goat all day and I've finally found the time to make a thread about it.

Today has been a lovely day, and a scheduled check up at the GP this morning resulted in me leaving the car at home and walking to Crystal Palace Road. Roughly a 15 minute walk.

Along route I couldn't help but notice the dangerous number of bushes and hedges which are totally out of control. Not only do they scale dramatic heights, but many are simply growing out into the pavement restricting pedestrians from using the public footpath. On more than one occasion I was forced out into the road, and with cars being so closely parked to the road it is often a dangerous trip hazard. Fellow residents of East Dulwich, could you please trim back your bushes in time for the winter season as this is simply not acceptable. On average I would say every fourth house on CPR had an unruly bush.

Is there anyone I can contact about this? James Barber is this a council issue? I'm all for lovely hedges and beautiful front gardens, so don't take this thread the wrong way everyone. Just some simple maintenance and being mindful that disabled and elderly people struggle to negotiate these overgrown monstrosities.

Louisa.

[Nigello]

It could be that some of the houses in question are rented out and the landlords/landladies simply CBA. It could also be that they belong to people who are not physically able to do it, so a gentle offer of help could work here - if you know that is the case. Perhaps, though, even the most able-bodied house-owners are just too lazy to be bothered.

The council can and will cut the bushes back but they'll do it in a very utilitarian way and then charge you for it.

Some of the spots are dangerous because the foliage grows out to such an extent as to make people have to leave the pavement, not a great idea if you are pushing a buggy, walking a dog or are not as nimble on your feet as you were (or are in a wheelchair, etc).

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Ooh, saucy!

(Yes, I agree).

[nxjen]

We've had a warm, wet summer which has made for ideal growing conditions and more growth than usual. It's now the time of year when people think about cutting back excessive foliage in preparation for winter and I suspect cutting back overgrown shrubs and trees will already be on a 'to do' list for many without any prompting.

What's that saying about the none so righteous as the converted?!!

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1532452

[????]

Nice spot nxjen - vaguely remembered Louisa had posted on this before but hadn't realised she'd had such a major change in her opinion on the bush :)

[KidKruger]

How can the height of someone's hedge be of any relevance to a passer-by ?

[Penguin68]

How can the height of someone's hedge be of any relevance to a passer-by ?

Ah, but what about a nosy passer-by?

(and you are advised not to have hedges so high that a passer-by couldn't see someone trying to enter your property nefariously - but that's to your advantage not that of the passer-by)

Additionally some local authorities do have bye-laws about hedge or wall heights.

[Sue]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> How can the height of someone's hedge be of any

> relevance to a passer-by ?

KK it isn't the height, it's the way some hedges take up virtually the whole width of the pavement.

If you are pushing a buggy, for example, you have to step into the road to get by.

It is at best annoying and inconvenient, and at worst dangerous.

[red devil]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Nice spot nxjen - vaguely remembered Louisa had

> posted on this before but hadn't realised she'd

> had such a major change in her opinion on the bush

> :)

diazie did it better, and wasn't even on a wind-up...:)

[KidKruger]

Well I'm afraid 'it' IS the height, the OP set the scene with "Not only do they scale dramatic heights..."

I know not any reason why a passer-by would have concern over a private hedge height.

I have a very tall one and, being a caring citizen, need to be aware of impacts it may have on a fellow member of the community - perhaps it causes 'excessive shadow' causing people to think they're in a ghetto at night when actually it's a sunny day ?

Having said that, I know the OP was a wind-up.

[DulwichFox]

Hedges over 2 mtrs (6.5ft)

Creating light loss to neighbouring properties.

The law

The law giving local councils powers to deal with complaints about high hedges is contained in Part 8 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 ("the Act") and the High Hedges (Appeals) (England) Regulations 2005 ("the Appeal Regulations").

DulwichFox

[Louisa]

nxjen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We've had a warm, wet summer which has made for

> ideal growing conditions and more growth than

> usual. It's now the time of year when people

> think about cutting back excessive foliage in

> preparation for winter and I suspect cutting back

> overgrown shrubs and trees will already be on a

> 'to do' list for many without any prompting.

>

> What's that saying about the none so righteous as

> the converted?!!

>

> http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?2

> 0,1532452

Indeed nxjen. My bush has since been kept in check regularly, however, being as I am, tucked away in a corner my front garden never has been overly grown to such an extent that it prevents people from gaining access to the footpath outside. Some of the hedges I was privy to yesterday were extreme in their overgrowth to say the very least.

Louisa.

[Huggers]

in the upper reaches of Bellenden Road you have to step into the road to avoid your eyes being gauged out by protruding hedges

[DulwichFox]

Overgrown hedges are of a particular Hazard to Blind people who are likely to walk straight into them.

DulwichFox

[peckham_ryu]

A timely post.

I don't have a bush myself. But my own unruly protrusion could take someone's eye out if I don't deal with it soon.

Note duly taken: I shall find time at the weekend to vigorously address my over-exuberant bamboo.

[Penguin68]

Overgrown hedges are of a particular Hazard to Blind people who are likely to walk straight into them.

For anyone who doesn't know, there is a home for the blind/ partially sighted at the Forest Hill end of Underhill. Residents often walk locally, particularly (obviously) up Underhill.

[uncleglen]

The OP was not a wind up. Being poked in the eye by some bushes in the dark is no fun

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Whilst we are on the subject of space- it would be

> very considerate of those who have hedges to trim

> them back to their property border because I am

> sick of not being able to walk down some streets

> with my partner without nipping into the road

> every 100 yards. The guilty parties probably never

> walk anywhere so they do not realise they are

> 'stealing' one third of the walkway.

> You have been warned- I am going to log your

> addresses and inform the council- or- if your

> hedge overhangs the public highway I may even be

> able to legally remove your overhang as long as I

> throw it into your front garden.

And that was in May 2013...it is a problem around here and if there is dog mess as well...I thought that because of the 2012 olympics we were all supposed to be trying to keep active...my son is 6'3" and there are loads of bushes he has to duck under. BTW- didn't have time to do the above but my annoyance has been rekindled...

[red devil]

Ducking under bushes sounds like a good post-2012 activity to me, keep it up!...

[katgod]

Pellat Road close to the Post Office depot is usually quite bad - the half houses there are very remiss at cutting back.

[dirac]

My neighbor's one was pretty wild back at the start of summer, so I just got the hedge trimmer and took it back about 1 meter so it was level with the wall and our hedge (after making sure no birds was nesting in it). Didn't do the top or owt cos that's not my business and I don't care what it looks like. They did the top within days haha!