Every year Cold Ash Parish Council receives complaints from parishioners on the state of
some hedges in the parish, but this year the issue seems to be particularly bad. Many of the
complaints are very serious, such as:
- disabled residents not being able to use their mobility aids on some paths
- parents having to leave the path and walk in the road with pushchairs and young children
- risk of injury to dog walkers and other pedestrians using paths after dark
Most of the complaints are about untended hedges, however some are about well-cut
hedges that still extend beyond the owner’s property boundaries.
The problem mainly relates to pedestrians but there’s also the safety issue on roads, where
visibility is inhibited and there’s a risk of injury to people and/or damage to vehicles.
We understand that there are issues with carrying out any heavy maintenance on your
hedges during bird nesting season (31st March to 31st August), so it’s more important to
ensure hedges are well under control prior to the end of March; now is an ideal time to
address any issues.
Click here to read the guidelines on hedges included in the West Berkshire Council guidance entitled
“Don’t let your hedge be a hazard’.
Hopefully everyone will comply with the guidance however West Berkshire Council does
have authority to carry out the work and recover the costs from property owners if they don’t
take action following an informal request and a formal 21-day notice.
If anyone is aware of a hazardous hedge you can report it to West Berkshire Council by clicking here.