Hi all
My garden is bordered on one side by a large laurel hedge, approx 5m high. This is on my neighbour's property (they actually live behind my house - the laurels just line the private driveway they have for access to the road). The hedge is right up against my boundary. The previous owner of my house had built a fence along the boundary, but the hedge has grown through it and/or pushed it over.
The hedge is a bit of a sensitive subject. It is huge - it runs for about 150 feet around my garden, 5m high, and is right on my boundary. It therefore shades my garden and creates a lot of work and waste. It affects me far more than him - it just lines a narrow driveway for him - but he doesn't want to reduce it in size. I want to replace the fence - the fact that the hedge has pushed it over means that animals can get in to our garden and we have had dogs and foxes wander in to the garden (and then the house) for a nosey - not ideal when we have a baby on the way.
So my questions are:
1) Does my neighbour have any responsibility for the damage that his hedge has caused to my fence? If so, what can I do about it?
2) What is my best option for replacing the fence? Would a wire mesh fence be a better option than a traditional fence, allowing the hedge to grow through it?
3) I am aware that when I cut the hedge on my side of the boundary, I have to offer the offcuts to my neighbour. But is there anything I can do to make him take them? the amount of waste is enormous and disposing of it costs a lot.
Thanks!
My garden is bordered on one side by a large laurel hedge, approx 5m high. This is on my neighbour's property (they actually live behind my house - the laurels just line the private driveway they have for access to the road). The hedge is right up against my boundary. The previous owner of my house had built a fence along the boundary, but the hedge has grown through it and/or pushed it over.
The hedge is a bit of a sensitive subject. It is huge - it runs for about 150 feet around my garden, 5m high, and is right on my boundary. It therefore shades my garden and creates a lot of work and waste. It affects me far more than him - it just lines a narrow driveway for him - but he doesn't want to reduce it in size. I want to replace the fence - the fact that the hedge has pushed it over means that animals can get in to our garden and we have had dogs and foxes wander in to the garden (and then the house) for a nosey - not ideal when we have a baby on the way.
So my questions are:
1) Does my neighbour have any responsibility for the damage that his hedge has caused to my fence? If so, what can I do about it?
2) What is my best option for replacing the fence? Would a wire mesh fence be a better option than a traditional fence, allowing the hedge to grow through it?
3) I am aware that when I cut the hedge on my side of the boundary, I have to offer the offcuts to my neighbour. But is there anything I can do to make him take them? the amount of waste is enormous and disposing of it costs a lot.
Thanks!