How far can I trim this hedge?

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Leicestershire
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How far can I trim my neighbours hedge? They don't seem to get that it's a bit high. Their gardener insists there's no limit to the height it's allowed to be and that my side is my problem.

I can trim it and shred it and get rid of it. Can I go to the fence line? I'm not expecting to be allowed to take the top off as much as I would like to.

Pics attached. The second one looks up from near ground level outside the patio door.

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I was under the impression that there was a limit to the height of a neighboring hedge. Local council might be able to help you on the facts.

Yes back the the line, but most over here would get a third party to do it and blame them if there's any fallout from the neighbours.
If you do it in stages you might be able to keep the green (growing) and it wont look as bad from your side. If you go back to the bone in one cut it will look bad from your side of the hedge.
 
You can cut back to the boundary line but it looks like you'd be left looking at something pretty ugly if you do - stumps and no green. You can't reduce the height without your neighbour's consent. If they won't consent and you still wish to reduce the height you can apply to your Council under the High Hedges legislation, but it will cost you. RHS advice here:

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=408
 
Legally you can cut back to the boundary, but it will all be dead stuff under there, and won't grow back, so it will look horrible. Be aware also that you can get contact dermatitis from cutting and handling Leylandii.

A truly horrible plant with no redeeming features.

Cheers
Richard
 
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Cheers, looks like I'll be cutting it back in stages then and covering up. The last time I cut one down I itched like mad.
 
Cheers, looks like I'll be cutting it back in stages then and covering up. The last time I cut one down I itched like mad.

It's an antisocial plant planted by antisocial people, who don't like their neighbours and don't have the patience for a proper hedge to grow. Even if it's planted with the best intentions, the owner will move house, or become 75 (with respect to any active 75 year olds on this forum), and it takes over the world. A bungalow near my father's house has a former hedge that is now 40 feet high and as wide as a terraced house. Leylandii should be classed with Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and uPVC windows.

Cheers
Richard
 
I may be wrong but are you not allowed to put the cuttings back in their garden for them to dispose of? If so that may discourage them from letting it grow to much in the future.

Dont quote me on the above I just heard it somewhere.
 
I may be wrong but are you not allowed to put the cuttings back in their garden for them to dispose off? If so that may discourage them from letting it grow to much in the future.

Dont quote me on the above I just heard it somewhere.

No, in theory you are supposed to offer the trimmings back because technically they belong to the neighbour, but you can't just dump them in their garden.

I think this goes back to ancient case law concerning fruit on the overhanging branches of trees.

Cheers
Richard
 

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