My hedge is destroyed

I also think you should put down a marker over this man's behaviour, whether its the police form or local council or both just in case he does something else to you or your neighbour's property. If you know the landlord, maybe a past neighbour, you could mention it as it makes you wonder what he is doing in the house.

Suziewoozie,in response to your post at 10.56, yes ours did have such a clause. We did try not to have to use it though, but after they told the next door neighbour that we had given them permission to park in a position that blocked his passage out of the cul de sac In his car we had had enough.

Suziwooze that must have been awful.

Hello Cava - The issue is crystal clear - you don't own the pavement. The fact that you question this newcomer's right "to change the landscape" shows that you feel you have a right to extend into that landscape from your garden and have no appreciation of your own impact on the public walkway. Bushes that overhang on to the pavement may look pretty and enhance the image of a person's house to the onlooker but they are an intrusion onto the pavement. As someone who has much experience of pushing both a wheelchair on some occasions, and a child's buggy on the other I am amazed at the lack of appreciation by some over-grown-garden owners that the pavement is for the use of the general public and is not an extension to their property. The onus is on you to plant responsibly and ensure that when your bush or tree flourishes it remains in your garden.

As to the point about knocking on your door and asking you to make the pavement accessible, it's not always easy to complain - if you are pushing a wheel/push chair you can't just leave it on the pavement while you walk up the pathway and knock on the door, if you are walking with children to school you can't break your journey, and likewise why should you have to make a separate trip back to the offending bush to be polite??

People have a right to walk as close to the wall at the end of private property as they need to and if children are constantly having to walk wide then it's no wonder that this chap has taken the matter into his own hands.

I don't think you will find any sympathy with your local council or the police, we are in the middle of a pandemic when all resources are stretched. This neighbour might be 'new' and 'renting' which both sound like value judgements to me but he has as much right as anyone to protect his children, so actually if I had been so negligent as to force someone to have to walk into a road I would be apologising to him, for my lack of appreciation, saying at the same time that you will ensure there's no overhang in future.

I know the council can require you to trim a hedge or shrubs that overhang a footpath as I once got a letter requiring me to do so from our local council. Obviously I complied as best I could without damaging said shrubs and I now trim back futher than I used to when I do my annual pruning. However, I don't think a neighbour has the right to cut your plants unless they overhang their property, which I presume was not the case. I'd be furious, however I'd be reluctant to have an on-going feud with a neighbour. Maybe contact the police online to ask advice.

The hedge as I have said previously allowed two adults to walk past comfortably. It was slightly overhung and due to be trimmed. If he’d come and spoken to us he would have had this info. The issue here is his actions and behaviour .. he obviously waited till we went out as our ring doorbell showed him turning up ten minutes later to do the deed. He was rude to us... one of us many comment was that we obviously dont have children as we don’t care about their welfare. (We have two and four grandchildren).
I do wonder where all this came from as we didn’t even know if his existence before yesterday ... very odd.

This is criminal damage and I would be concerned that his behaviour might escalate if he is permitted to just continue doing as he pleases - how long before he decides a tree is blocking some of his light and has to be cut down, or he doesn't like things in people's gardens etc. Normal people would talk to a neighbour first, open a discussion, ask if work could be done and give their reasons for the request. It is possible that having recently moved in he genuinely thought he was doing a favour for one of his new neighbours. But, he has gone about it in totally the wrong way and personally I'd be worried as well as furious. Oh, and it is unreasonable of anyone thinking it's OK to walk 5 abreast on the path (bloke and his 4 sons you mentioned) - then nobody else, especially people with mobility scooters or pushing buggies, would be able to get past them.

Neighbours are permitted to trim back branches etc that overhang their properties but you say this guy lives up the road a bit so I presume he is not your next-door neighbour and this would not then be applicable. My better half is a tree surgeon and often has to deal with neighbours in dispute about trees and hedges. Mostly even when neighbours want to trim overhanging tree branches or hedges they still approach the neighbour the offending plant life belongs to, either asking them to deal with it or by requesting permission to trim their side, sometimes offering to pay or go halves etc. To the best of my knowledge nobody has a right to just walk down their road with a hedge trimmer and cut their neighbours bushes.

One of our new (problem) neighbours recently butchered a lovely tree - I'm livid, especially as the tree belongs to the nicest neighbour we have (we've lived next door for nearly 30 years and consider her as good as family). Her tree does overhang our garden a bit but she takes good care of it and we don't mind - we know we'd only have to ask or offer to trim it if it ever became a problem (it's a nice tree and the only one of its kind in our gardens). The neighbour mistakenly thought that part of the garden belonged to the flat they rent and wanted their kid to play there (it is OUR garden area and we don't want any more nuisance than they already make right outside our window)

If I were you I'd prefer not to get off on a bad heading with new neighbours but 'd be very concerned and would probably report the incident in case this unreasonable behaviour establishes a pattern. If the trimmed hedge is not a 'neat job' and has damaged it, made it look really bad, disturbed nests etc he obviously doesn't care about the impact on you, your garden, the wildlife etc. I've just re-read your post as I was going to suggest talking to him but you mention an exchange you had with him where he was 'defensive and aggressive' - worrying traits and a bad response. Please be careful as it doesn't sound like he is prepared to listen to reason, obviously has an entitles attitude to do as he pleases, act impulsively and not care about the consequences.

GoldenAge Whilst I agree with your sentiments about hedges that impede wheelchairs, pedestrians etc., Cava has said that the hedge was not overgrown enough to impede foot traffic.

Huge sympathy with the OP arriving back to find the job already done. He should have asked. Having said that, I have asked the owner of this hedge to cut it back on several occasions since lockdown and it’s just got worse. Out for a walk is bad-with social distancing we either waited or walked in the road but now it has grown so much since March that with a wheel chair or a pram-you have to go into the road even if there’s no one else there.

Complain politely to his landlord so they have a record too

I think he was wrong by just doing without speaking to you first. Sometimes these things do happen with plants, shrubs and trees growing amok in the warmer months and we don't always notice it. If it is growing over the pavement it can be dangerous however if you live in a cul-de-sac it is different as cars won't be speeding past his kids. Having read your post I must admit I checked out trees etc weren't overhanging and I think a bit of trimming back will be carried out in next could of weeks ??

I assure you Goldenage that you would not be apologising to this chap. I too have issues with bushes when walking grandchildren in the buggy..but I assure you my hedge was not overhanging.. just a little bit out and the pavement would comfortably fit two adults. This chap does not have a buggy he lived up the road and came armed with his tools the moment we went our rather than just coming to have a chat. He was rude and aggressive and it was his way or the highway and I don’t think we should have to endure that sort of behaviour.

Instead of involving police (who knows what that would make him do next?) Look out for his landlord maybe, when he calls on him? Get him to have a word? To explain hes not allowed to do that kind of thing? Or if you know the owner already, give him a ring & tell him.

Cava
Criminal damage ??? Unless you gave permission for your hedge to be cut back it is not up to persons to take the law into their own hands and decide for them selves what they see as an obstruction.Did you take photographs of your damaged hedge? Hopefully you did if not do so now and take them to your local Citizens Advice .They will advise what you need to do.

Or do you have a 'neighborhood watch association or owners society or some such, who can maybe word a printed 'anonymous' leaflet of some kind, about rules& regs of what other owners/renters/residents are not allowed to do to others properties, just signed as 'the group' of whatever they represent? Might be more formal& not allow him to do it, or anything else, again? Hes probably used to an estate where no one owns their own previously so thought he could do so

I think the words "was doing me a favour" would have enough to make me shriek it back at him however!

Would have been

I would guess that he grabbed his chance to do it while you were out. Still no reason for him to have not knocked on your door and just say " I think that your hedge/ shrubs are overhanging onto the path,would it be okay if I trimmed them back ?
Obviously his kids can only walk in a straight line and he has previously only lived in a house in the back of beyond where he could do what he liked!
Understand how you feel - I got home from work one day to find that members of my family had come round (admittedly at my dad's request) and cut back every single shrub and even a small tree, to the same height! As well as burning my garden bench on the bonfire!

The man had no right to just take matters into his own hands without at least discussing the matter with you first as it affects you even if it overhanged the street. He was just plain thoughtless, rude and impudent.
I once had a new neighbor who cut down a magnificent tree while I was at work. The old tree had a wide trunk that sat on the corner of 3 properties—mine, my next door neighbor and his which was in back of ours. I always enjoyed watching it seasonally flower as it’s’ branches gracefully hung over into my backyard. Without it his new ugly fence was my only view there. He claimed he was protecting his children in the event it fell down in a storm. I complained so much that he reimbursed me some, not all, for the bushes I planted to hide his fence.
P.S. A few years later, the tree NEXT to his house which he had never touched, fell down on his porch and destroyed it. Karma!

It’s done now, he was in the wrong rude and obviously not thought things through and you are going to get it done properly I would not make an enemy it won’t put your hedge back
The police have real crimes they can’t even manage the council can’t do anything now because it’s been done I would put it behind you, you don’t know the story because he’s chosen to act instead of talk, maybe one of his kids was scratched by it or stepped into the road to avoid it I m certainly not condoning his actions which were misjudged and wrong, but is it really worth making an enemy of a new neighbour I wouldn’t but up to you of course to take what action you see fit but these kind of things can escalate into real nastiness for years

Can I just chip in while we are on the subject of overhanging bushes/shrubs. Nobody has mentioned people with visual impairments. No white stick or guide dog can alert them to head high foliage. Some plants are viciously thorny, brambles especially can do significant damage to someones face. Like someone mentioned before, I often have a pair of secateurs in my pocket to whip off those awful bramble suckers! Main road footpaths which should be maintained by the council, are a nightmare at this time of the year. Hope everything works out ok for you Cava

I agree you should report it, but low key. I had an incident with someone who lives near me and found that you could send in a report online. I didn't want there to be any repercussions at the time but just wanted some very aggressive behavior on record in case it happened again.
I made it very clear that I didn't want the police to talk to the person in case that escalated whatever the problem was. . One of the PCSOs ( Is that correct?) called on me a while later to check if I was OK and as far as I know did not speak to the person concerned, but it hasn't happened again.
Maybe you could do something similar?

Mollygo
Is the footpath over which the hedge hangs a public highway ? if so contact your local council and report an obstruction.

What a horrible comment by craftyone.

This complete mania for weed killer and strimming or cutting any plant that dares to take up more than a few centimetres is driving nature to extinction and us with it.

What’s so harmful about a few sprays of leaves brushing against your arm as you walk past? Do we all want to live in a concrete nightmare? With no bees or butterflies?

This man is an idiot and there are plenty about but if you do nothing he’ll carry on doing exactly what he wants,

If it was me knowing that due to austerity cutbacks and a lack in motivation enthusiasm , lack of staff etc in the relevant service providers I wouldn’t spend ages trying to get somewhere with the authority. I can only speak from up North not down South as they’re two different worlds. etc etc I am pretty certain neither the council nor the police would be interested unless there’s a serious crime or amount of harassment taking place. They would tell you to keep a diary which is a good thing to do as you Ned to document evidence in case you need it later. Have you joined your local neighbourhood group . I have recently and it’s quite useful for keeping an ear to the ground without airing grievences public and potentially feeling vulnerable. I personally wouldn’t speak to the gobby twerp at all ever again . He obviously has the potential to go from 0 to 100 and you don’t know his history.Actually you don’t even need to given he’s been there less than 5 mins and acts like a two year old in a tantrum. I would monitor and record any incidents . If you needed to go to court god forbid, your diary record ie dates times will be invaluable. Unfortunately we’re in strange times where neighbour disputes not involving assault or threats of assault are at the bottom of the list re importance to the authorities. I feel that the whole process of lifting yourself up of the floor and going through the struggle of trying to be taken seriously is just ongoing stress for you. . People like him don’t necessarily have any respect for authority anyway. It’s all wrong but that’s how the cookie crumbles as I see it.