Hedges – please be a good neighbour and clear up afterwards

The deadline for cutting hedges – 15 June – is fast approaching and many parishioners have already done theirs before Douzeniers start their official checks.

This is just a reminder that all the cuttings have to be cleared up straight away (the law says "immediately") and not left for another day or weekend.

This is not just to prevent drains and gullies getting blocked if it rains and washes away the material, it's also a safety issue.

We've already had reports of children trying to walk to school finding pavements blocked by cuttings. Since no one wants to be a bad neighbour, please get rid of those trimmings promptly.

The official line:
Hedges and trees bordering a public road must be cut back between the 1st and 15th of June and between the 15th and 30th of September each year in order that they do not overhang the public road up to the height of 12 ft from the road (where the road is ordinarily used by vehicular traffic) or 8 ft from the road (where the road is not ordinarily used by vehicular traffic). By law, all cuttings must be cleared immediately. It is the responsibility of the land owner to keep all hedges and trees trimmed and under control throughout the year, not just at inspection time.