In this season of warmth, sunshine and rain, our gardens are surging with growth. Combine this with holidays and an increase in activities, it’s too easy to neglect the maintenance of gardens. However, it’s important to remember that we all have a responsibility to ensure our gardens are not causing any obstruction to people on the pavements.
The overhang of vegetation from private gardens can greatly reduce the space available for those using our pavements, which are narrow in places due to the age of our village. For those with children in buggies or navigating the village in a wheelchair or mobility scooter it can be frustrating if not impossible to use some pavements. At times, pedestrians may be forced to walk in the road, which can be dangerous.
Property owners have a duty of care to ensure their trees and hedges are not dangerous and don’t cause obstruction or damage, whether to neighbouring properties or people trying to use the pavements.
Overhanging vegetation around junctions can also make it difficult for drivers to see clearly and turn safely, or for pedestrians to cross the road safely.
We recognise that many of our residents are passionate about protecting the environment and may have actively avoided cutting hedges and trees to ensure the safety of any nesting birds. The official season for bird nesting is February to August, although the most active months are April to July [Arboricultural Association]. The arrival of August means it is now less risky to cut back your hedges, bushes and trees, so we’d encourage you to do so carefully. Visit this webpage for some good advice: Bird Nesting Season and Tree Work Rules in the UK.
While Parish Council staff try to keep an eye on the green spaces that we are responsible for, we may not always spot areas in need of attention. We’d encourage residents to flag any areas of concern on FixMyStreet. This website informs the County Council and Parish Council of any issues, with the responsible body able to remedy as soon as possible.