It is very important that you keep hedges maintained and properly cut back if any part of the hedge borders a pavement of footpath and it is YOUR responsibility to keep it trimmed back to the point that it doesn’t encroach over the footpath / pavement / road and obstruct or risk injury to passers by. Hedges should ideally be trimmed from October to March, then left alone to avoid disturbing nesting birds. So get trimming!

• You should ensure that the hedge does not overlap the pavement at all if possible, and that someone in a wheelchair or with a buggy can easily pass without the need to step into the road.
• You must also ensure that your hedge does not obscure any road signs or lights.
• Please trim your hedges as high as you can and be mindful of the safety of pedestrians who might catch their face or clothes. This is particularly difficult for wheelchair users or partially sighted people.
• Please be mindful of pavement users when you are trimming. Always stop work to allow passers by to pass safely.
• Please make sure you clear away all your trimmings and dispose of in compost, brown bins or green waste containers at your local recycling centre (Earlswood, Redhill).

please report any obstructive hedges to Surrey county Council

• If you report an overgrown or an overhanging tree or hedge on private land, Surrey CC will carry out an inspection. If it endangers or obstructs road and pavement users, SCC will contact the owner requesting that they cut it back.
• If the overgrown tree or hedge is not cut back by the owner within designated timescales, SCC may also serve them with a notice to do the work under Section 154 of the Highways Act 1980.
• In some rare cases, if cutting back private hedges would disturb wild birds, SCC may allow the owners to delay the work until the bird nesting season is over. This is because there are laws against disturbing wild bird nests.

Report a hedge overhanging or obstructing a pavement or footpath HERE