Resident and council argument over who cuts hedges in Barry

Paul Clarke, 70, and other residents on Brenig Close were sent letters from Vale of Glamorgan Council on June 6 saying they had to cut back the hedges on Port Road West within 14 days or face action.

The council, who described the overgrowth as dangerous, said it is now re-examining its land registry information to confirm ownership and responsibility for this land after receiving representations from affected residents.

However, Paul said a deed for his neighbour’s home shows the hedge outside the boundaries of the properties on Brenig Close.

Paul, who said he is “angry and annoyed” over the situation, claims he would have to drive about a mile to the side of Port Road West that his house backs on to in order to carry out the work.

“Or [it would be] half a mile walk through the woods, but I can’t be lugging tools and everything like that,” he said.

“There is no access from here. We are not allowed to put an access here. It is a busy road… and since Five Mile Lane has been widened and extended it is even busier. We are all at that age where, physically, we are not able to do it.”

A land registry document shows the boundary between properties on Brenig Close and the public highway on Port Road West that the council looks after.

However, this doesn’t give any precise measurements and fails to show whether the boundary includes the hedges.

Heavy duty tools would also be needed to tackle the vegetation behind their homes according to the residents.

Paul added: “It’s a hedgerow. There are mature trees in there. There are trees there that are 30ft or 40ft high.

“You can’t actually cut trees down. You have to get permission, even if they are on your land.”

A deed which Paul said shows the hedge outside of the boundary of the properties on Brenig Close in Barry (Image: LDR Ted Peskett)

In their letter to residents earlier this month, Vale of Glamorgan Council said a dead tree and vegetation had become overgrown and was encroaching on to the public highway.

As well as asking them to cut the vegetation back to the boundary, or arranging to have someone carry out that work, the council advised the residents to remove debris from the tree and hedge cutting from the public highway.

The letter stated: “Failure to remove this debris will result in the council arranging this and we will seek to recover all costs associated.”

It goes on to add: “Only as a last resort, the council will use the powers given to us as a highway authority and seek to serve notice and proceed matters legally, although this is only in the most extreme circumstances where property owners/tenants ignore all correspondence or fail to undertake the works.”

The hedgerow behind properties on Brenig Close in Barry which is encroaching on to the public highway (Image: LDR Ted Peskett)

Another resident of Brenig Close, Clem Thompson, called it “ridiculous” that residents only found out about the claim that cutting the hedges was now their responsibility through the council’s recent letter.

Clem, 80, said: “If they are going to do something, have some manners.”
The resident, who has been living on Brenig Close for 22 years, later added: “I have seen the [council’s] machine go down quite often, maybe twice a year. They cut the other side.

“To me, it is part of the highway to keep it tidy. I just don’t understand why all of a sudden it is just [our responsability].

“It is not a very nice letter is it?”

Clem Thompson, 80, said he was annoyed by the council's letter calling on residents on Brenig Close, Barry to cut back the hedge on Port Road West (Image: LDR Ted Peskett)

 Miles Punter, Vale of Glamorgan Council director of environment and housing services, said: “We recently sent letters to residents asking them to attend to overgrown vegetation that has encroached onto areas of pavement causing a safety issue.

“After receiving representations from some of those affected, the Council is now re-examining its land registry information to confirm ownership and responsibility for this land. We will be back in touch with residents to resolve the issue once this has been established.”