If you are living in the shadow of your neighbour's evergreen or semi-evergreen hedge and you consider that it is harming the enjoyment of your house or garden you can complain to the Council. However, before the Council can deal with your complaint, you must make significant efforts to try to resolve the problem yourself. Making a complaint to the Council is very much a last resort and the person making the complaint must show that attempts to resolve the problem amicably have failed. Try talking or writing to the person responsible for the hedge, or using a mediation service.

 

Please note that evidence that you have attempted to resolve the complaint, for example copies of letters/emails sent to the hedge owner, must be submitted with your formal high hedge complaint application to the Council. If you do not provide this information your complaint application could be considered to be invalid and the Council will not investigate your complaint.

 

 

Once a complaint is made on the relevant forms, the associated fee has been paid, and it is clear that all necessary steps have been taken to try to solve the problem amicably, the Council will investigate.

 

Forms are available on this web site via the Development Control Forms page, or can be picked up in person from Customer Services at the Public Service Plaza, or requested by phone on 023 9244 6015.

 

Once completed they can be posted to:

Planning Development

Havant Borough Council

Public Service Plaza

Civic Centre Road

Havant

Hampshire

PO9 2AX

 

Or submitted by e-mail to planning.development@havant.gov.uk

 

The investigation will be carried out by the Tree Officer and a Development Control Officer and the Council will decide whether the offending hedge is having an unacceptable impact and what action, if any, should be taken to reduce its impact. The Council will ask for the views of both parties and visit the affected properties before making a decision. Both parties will then be able to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate if they disagree with the verdict.

 

A general introduction to high hedges and a series of frequently asked questions can be accessed via the Communities and Local Government website and copies of available government documents on high hedges and the introduction and frequently asked questions can be obtained from Customer Services.