I’m forced to live in darkness thanks to council’s HUGE towering hedge – it’s destroyed my fence and ruined my garden
Date: 2024-10-29A FUMING grandmother says her life has become a “nightmare” because of an overgrown hedge which has destroyed her garden.
Betty Calloway, 90, said her garden has been “swallowed” by the badly maintained hedge.
The pensioner moved into the bungalow earlier this year following the death of her husband George in 2022.
Betty says her life has since become hellish due to an overgrown hedge which towers more than 15ft (4.5m) over her garden.
The bushes are so heavy they are causing her fence to buckle and have completely submerged her garden into darkness.
They have even started blocking any light coming through her bungalow windows.
The hedge runs the length of her property along an alleyway that backs onto the nearby Brookside estate and belongs to Telford and Wrekin Council.
Betty said: “It is well over 15ft high and is just huge. It’s literally swallowing the garden.
“It is blocking the light and falling all over the garden. It has also damaged the fence and made a mess.
“I’m really concerned and worried about it. I have called the council and they said it was all in hand, but nobody has been out.
“I’m 90. I can’t cut it myself. I don’t know what else I can do.”
The two-bedroom property in Stirchley, Teford, Shropshire cost £260,000 and used to be home to Betty and George in the earlier days of their relationship.
The couple, who were married for 72 years, lived in the property for three years before moving into assisted living in 2017 when George’s health deteriorated.
After George died Betty decided to move back to their former home.
“After he died I saw the bungalow was on the market and I put an offer in.
“It sounds silly but I feel like George is still with me here,” she said.
What to do if a neighbour's hedge or trees are blocking light in your home
- Before you apply to the council you should try to settle the dispute by asking your neighbour to cut back the hedge or trees.
- If you haven’t reached an agreement by speaking with them, you should put your request in writing.
- If you need help to talk to your neighbours, there might be a mediation scheme run by your local council.
- Check whether you can apply for a High Hedge Notice.
- Apply for a High Hedge Notice.
- Before it will investigate the council will make sure that your application is valid.
- If your application is accepted the local authority will start an investigation.
- You can appeal against a council’s decision to issue or not to issue a High Hedge Notice, to withdraw a Notice or vary it. You must appeal within 28 days of being advised about the local authority decision.
Betty, who used to run a restaurant with George before they retired, said the pair had cared for the garden as best they could.
Whilst admitting the garden is “in a bit of a state” because it’s been neglected, she said the hedge is the council’s responsibility to look after.
But despite repeatedly calling them about her concerns no one has been out to discuss cutting it back.
A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesperson said: “We’re grateful that this has been brought back to our attention and have visited Mrs Calloway today to inspect the hedge.
We carried out works along this pathway in the last six weeks and within the next 3 weeks, we’ll do further works to reduce the height of another 40-metre stretch of hedgerow, as part of our focussed maintenance work at key locations around the borough.”
