Hedges
Council responsibility
We maintain hedges in the following areas:
- Public open space
- Highway verges
- Central reservations
- Parks
- Town Centre Gardens
- Rear access paths
Please use the link below should you wish to make a report/request or require more information about hedges within flat blocks, hostels and sheltered housing units owned by Stevenage Homes Ltd.
We do not maintain beds that are:
- Privately owned
- On properties/estates owned by bodies other than the Council
Schedule
Most hedges are cut twice a year – once in the summer and once in the winter. Hedges adjacent to rear access paths are cut 4 times a year – April / May, June / August, September / October and November / March.
Grass and weeds growing along the base of the hedge are cut down on 2 occasions during the spring / summer. Some hedges are also treated with weedkiller.
To report a problem with hedge maintenance please complete the online report form. Your report will be investigated within two working days and, where necessary, the teams will usually return to site within 5 working days.
Maintenance and care
All Environmental Operations staff are required to operate all machinery in a safe and appropriate manner.
Litter should be removed at the time of pruning. If this is not done the team will return to site, within five working days, to remove all litter.
We are responsible for maintaining the outside and top of our hedges. If a Council hedge forms a boundary to your property you are responsible for maintaining the inside of the hedge.
Hedges adjacent to private property are cut manually with hedge cutters. To comply with health & safety guidelines it is necessary to maintain most hedges at about 6ft. However, the Council are currently considering the opportunities to maintain some hedges at 10ft.
To make an enquiry about the height of hedge maintenance please complete the online form. Receipt of your enquiry will be acknowledged within two working days, and a full reply sent within twenty working days.
Damage to property
If you consider that you have been injured as a result of the Council’s negligence or your property damaged by an employee of Stevenage Borough Council, acting negligently or in breach of any statutory duty, you may have the right to make a claim against the Council.