Hedges

[James Barber]

East Dulwich seem to have gone crazy. Several residents complaining about particualr hedges and other residents complaining about having their hedges cut back by Southwark brutally to the property line.

Apparently the deal is everyone has to keep vegetation behind their property line. If Southwark highway inspectors feel a serious overhanging is occuring they will issue a notice on the residents - sample attached - giving two weeks to cut it back to the property line. If the residents fail to do this then Southwark calls in contractors who typically charge ?200-300 depending on the amount of vegetation and Southwark invoice the residents for this.

One of the holes in this process is where residents do trim their hedge but not enough and then feel Southwark is heavy handed by treating them as though they've done nothing rather than asking them to try again.

Hope this helps explain how we an all avoid getting a notice letter.

If anyone has any hedge problems please email me to try and help.

[PeckhamRose]

Please don't think this reply is inappropriate; I really am only suggesting a way people might get help here.

If the people who need hedges cutting down are finding it difficult to do so for any reason and they are over fifty, they could join Southwark Circle (?20 a year) and then pay one of the Helpers to do it (for something like ?10 an hour, don't quote me). It's a not for profit organisation. Mr PR has been doing quite a bit of gardening and hedge trimming recently for people. Arm muscles like rock, he's got. Sighhhhh

Hope you won't mind this reply, James.

[Loz]

James Barber Wrote:

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> East Dulwich seem to have gone crazy. Several

> residents complaining about particualr hedges and

> other residents complaining about having their

> hedges cut back by Southwark brutally to the

> property line.

Good grief. The council does something for nothing and people complain about it. So now we may get hit with a bill to do it instead.

Barstewards.

[intexasatthe moment]

The council does something for nothing - sorry to be pedantic but Southwark is not doing something for nothing .

There is a cost involved - and personally I'd rather that it wasn't added to my council tax.

[EDmummy]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

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> The council does something for nothing - sorry to

> be pedantic but Southwark is not doing something

> for nothing .

> There is a cost involved - and personally I'd

> rather that it wasn't added to my council tax.

Well, lets hope you are not trying to push a buggy, walk with the aid of a walking stick/frame or are visually impaired trying to make it down some of our smaller streets!

[mockney piers]

Please tell me these aren't privet hedge problems....

[intexasatthe moment]

Well, lets hope you are not trying to push a buggy, walk with the aid of a walking stick/frame or are visually impaired trying to make it down some of our smaller streets!

You hope away for what you want - one of my hopes would be that Southwark could spend some money on the pavements around my elderly mother's house so that when I'm pushing her in a wheelchair ,or when she's taking a few independent steps ,life isn't so fraught .

Perhaps there would be more money available for such works if people weren't under the impression that it's a jolly freebie if Southwark cuts their privet hedge for them .

[EDmummy]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Well, lets hope you are not trying to push a

> buggy, walk with the aid of a walking stick/frame

> or are visually impaired trying to make it down

> some of our smaller streets!

>

> You hope away for what you want - one of my hopes

> would be that Southwark could spend some money on

> the pavements around my elderly mother's house so

> that when I'm pushing her in a wheelchair ,or when

> she's taking a few independent steps ,life isn't

> so fraught .

>

> Perhaps there would be more money available for

> such works if people weren't under the impression

> that it's a jolly freebie if Southwark cuts their

> privet hedge for them .

Doesn't James say that if the person does not cut their hedge then the council will charge them ?200-300. In what way are Southwark giving a 'jolly freebie'?

[intexasatthe moment]

They're not EDMummy ,that's my point .

My reference was to a few posts ( not all on this thread ,so I understand your confusion ) like this

Oooh - don't complain. Saved me a job as the (shared) hedge was starting to take over the pavement. The council has my thanks for that little effort.

I get feck all from the council for my ?1000+ a year, so it did make a nice surprise .

Good grief. The council does something for nothing and people complain about it .

[puzzled]

gosh, that cllr barber is a jolly busy little boy. pedestrian crossings every few feet on the lane and now residents failing to keep their wilfully rule busting privets etc firmly in line. me barber is also a cycling devotee who does not like cars).... so watch out for perking permits everywhere (they keep on trying.) dunno if he's got anything to do with the peckham rye park picnis area being closed of of the elfn safety fears regarding the beautiful trees. give us a break jimmy baby... leave us alone for a while willya!

[Huguenot]

If in doubt, attack the man not the policy. It's a sad reflection of modern society that these approaches seem to be considered fashionable or clever.

James doesn't set any policy unilaterally, can't make decisions for LTA or the Mayor, and only covers ED ward, not all the surrounding areas.

You probably would feel differently about neighbourhood issues if you weren't so mobile, looked after kids, didn't think your car was a right instead of a privelege.

You'd probably think differently if your green spaces had been turned into a rubbish tip by brainless ingrates, and the trees destroyed by thugs using the as a training ground for their dogs.

Or maybe you wouldn't, maybe you just don't care.

(That's what personal attacks feel like, if you don't like them, don't do them yourself ;-))

[zephyr]

puzzled Wrote:

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> got anything to do with the peckham rye park

> picnis area being closed of of the elfn safety

> fears regarding the beautiful trees.

Is the picnic area really closed?

[reetpetite]

Yes saw notice on the gates today closed for tree works.

[Moos]

For tree weeks? That's ages!

[trentk69]

I think the overgrown trees now that the summer growth is in full bloom is more of a problem. It is nigh on near impossible to walk up Barry road now that all the leaves are out. I would prefer the council trimmed these down now, rather than focussing on overgrown hedges, which can be tackled later in the year...

[mockney piers]

*sniggers again*

[Loz]

> The council does something for nothing - sorry to

> be pedantic but Southwark is not doing something

> for nothing .

> There is a cost involved - and personally I'd

> rather that it wasn't added to my council tax.

I assume that you enjoy some of the other services - schools, aged care, council housing, planning, roads, parking, etc, etc that the council provides. I'd rather the benefits you enjoy aren't added to my council tax bill. But that's not how it works.

Well, lets hope you are not trying to push a buggy, walk with the aid of a walking stick/frame or are visually impaired trying to make it down some of our smaller streets!

You hope away for what you want - one of my hopes would be that Southwark could spend some money on the pavements around my elderly mother's house so that when I'm pushing her in a wheelchair ,or when she's taking a few independent steps ,life isn't so fraught

Prey tell why - on your own assessment of the system - my council taxes should pay for the pavements near your mother's house. I mean shouldn't you be out there sorting them out yourself? Or do you apply a different criteria for yourself?

As I said on the other thread - I pay my council tax and do not begrudge it, but I don't get (nor expect) a lot back in return compared to many others. This was the one time in 10 years. And you begrudge it. In fact you seem to be saying, "Sod everyone else. Spend council money on me, me, ME!"

Your really are coming across as the Grinch. And I really hope you are the first recipient of the ?250 bill.

[intexasatthe moment]

Oh dear I don't seem to be making my point very well do I ?

You had said " Good grief. The council does something for nothing and people complain about it ."

I just thought ( still do ) that people shouldn't expect Southwark to cut their garden hedge for them and that saying such an action was for free missed the point that there is a cost involved .

I must have missed your post where you say you pay your council tax and don't begrudge it .

I thought ( obviously wrongly ) that your comment " I get feck all from the council for my ?1000+ a year "gave the impression that you saw council tax very much in terms of what you personally got out of it.

However James has explained that Southwark seek to recover the cost of cutting hedges so hopefully this won't reduce monies available for other things like repairing roads and pavements . ( Which funnily enough aren't only used by my mother .)

I mentioned my personal interest in negotiating pavements in response to another poster who I felt had implied that I might have a different view if I too experienced difficulties .

And as you seem interested - I have no children at school ,don't live in council housing ,am not in receipt of home care or meals on wheels and I maintain my own garden .

I do however benefit from living in a borough that does provide such services and this ,in turn ,benefits me personally .

[HennyPenny]

I know that some overhanging hedges can be a hazard and I have been subject to a Southwark letter after a neighbour complained about our really pretty flowering Choisya with its soft growth, nothing hard that could hurt/scratch anyone and overhung the wall by about 3 inches. However, I do have 2 friends, 1 is registered disabled and the other registered blind, and they find wheelie bins that are left on the pavement by the council to be far more hazardous. Perhaps its time these were disposed of. As well as being a street hazard they are particularly unsightly.HP

[the-e-dealer]

Kill the Trees Kill The Trees.

[SCSB79]

As someone who has suffered at the hands of a Southwark Council worker (or hired contractor) butchering our hedge to a complete eyesore... the entire process is completely flawed.

Communication from the council is diabolical, responses requested are ignored and noses turned up when information requested.

I feel sorry for anyone who ends up as we did.

[Loz]

Yeah, but now you get your hedge hacked back AND a bill for ?200.

[QueenMab]

"As someone who has suffered at the hands of a Southwark Council worker (or hired contractor) butchering our hedge to a complete eyesore... the entire process is completely flawed..."

Well if you want perfectly manicured topiary, you could always, you know, do it yourself, or pay someone to do the job for you to your satisfaction. It shouldn't come as any surprise that Southwark doesn't provide Capability Brown-style gardening services for those who don't manage their own gardens and hedges etc.

[maxxi]

As someone over 6' can I just add that the council could do with trimming some of the lower branches on the many young trees that line ED streets as this combined with out of control privet - the top of Crawthew Grove for example - means bending double. And that just makes me feel silly.

[Amelie]

Anyone who feels that the Council has butchered their hedge or damaged items that belong to them is free to make a complaint of criminal trespass and criminal damage to the police.