What the ...! 'Furious ' is not enough right now

[notjustamummythankyou]

Our garden backs onto allotments, and we have a high hedge mixed with brambles at that end. Nice and natural, not causing an obstruction over the path through the allotment on the other side.

The 'gentleman' who we suspect has just taken over the allotment on the other side of our hedge has taken it upon himself to cut back huge swathes of brambles alongside this path. Doesn't affect us but a shame as its a well known blackberry picking spot.

I came home today to find him pulling down our hedge too! I'm so angry, its untrue. He said it was 'a mess' (its not) and 'blocking the path' (it never has).our garden is now half-exposed to the allotments with just a knee high chicken wire fence meant to keep out dogs which will now let yooves in.

Apart from our lovely green room not being the same, its a real security issue. We've had some trouble with break-ins coming over that way in our road. We've always been relatively safe because we had a hedge and not a fence. It feels very exposed now.

I don't know what to do now. I'm not sure what come back I've got, if any. So talk me down: I need fast growing security-conscious shrubs for a 6 foot wide space.

And if you've got any gin, that would be good too.

[Rhubarbgarden]

How very rude of him to destroy your hedge. Brambles are very tenacious and fast growing, though. They'll be back before you blink.

[Littlefish]

Next time you see him, be very clear with him and state that the hedge is yours and that he has destroyed it. Under no circumstances does he have permission to touch the hedge again, other than to trim those parts which are on his land.

I would be livid!

[DebbieOfMaddox]

Pyracantha grows very quickly, or common hawthorn or barberry.

[Damnautocorrect]

I'd be livid too, if it's not causing him a problem even if it does look 'a mess' in his opinion. I don't understand why he thinks he has the right?! If he is less then agreeable next time you speak to him complain to the allotment allocators / managers.
A neighbour jumped into my garden and chopped down about a meter depth of my hedge I was fuming too

[BlueJean]

If your deeds show that the hedge is a boundary to your property then you may have a very good case against the allotment holder.

There are some very good garden law specialists who can help pursue this case. A quick google will find one in your local area that knows the local by laws (if they are relevant)

[spinnergeologist]

Plant something spiney like blackthorn and make sloe gin

[mineofuselessinformation]

The small-leafed berberis (holly shaped leaves with spines) is quite attractive and has yellow berries.....
It is lethal though - the spines go straight through gardening gloves.
I'd be considering it if I were you.

[notjustamummythankyou]

Thanks for the plant recommendations. Liking thorns through gardening gloves!

Dh came back from work and is seething. We saw the bloke in question, and he is the new tenant of the allotment immediately at the back of us.

We've checked our paperwork on the house and we do own the hedge. Or what's left of it. Its been pointed out to us by my dbil (a surveyor) that the hedgerows act may also come into play here as the allotment side of our hedge was naturalised bramble / hedgerow.

Dh also happens to be a solicitor. While he won't throw his legal weight around in an out-of-proportion manner, a stiff letter or three to the allotment association and the council won't come amiss.

Let hedgegate commence.

[Can you tell I've been on the gin?]

[DebbieOfMaddox]

Oh, good! If you don't have to pay for your legal advice, then let him have it!

[mythbustinggov]

Ooh, and please keep us posted, just as a public service to those interested in the upkeep of hedgerows, of course...

[Bearleigh]

How awful I can't I imagine how upsetting it must be. I know you say you want a quick-growing hedge, but please don't plant leylandii, or Lawson's Cyprus.

They do grow quickly so after a while can become impossible to keep up to. The earth around them is dead. We moved into our house when there were Lawson's Cyprus as high as the 3 storey house all along the back. We had them chopped down (££££), and I am still feeding the earth 4 years later. They made everything so dark and dismal.

Could you get MrAllotment to pay for a high secure fence and plant nice varied hedging plants too?

[SnakeyMcBadass]

I'd go batshit. Definitely get your DH writing letters. Cheeky git.

[WestmorlandSausage]

its criminal damage surely?

[Incapinka]

Some people just have so much audacity. We farm and have 3 weeks ago drove past our field and saw someone having a bonfire in it. On closer inspection and asking them what they thought they were doing we saw they were burning our hedge. About 20metres!!! They thought that it would improve their view!!!! They won't be too impressed when we replant with something that grows high and quick!! (And charge them for the privelidge!) and yes removing hedgerows covered by the hedgerow act is against the law... Think the LA is who you need to speak too...

[Blondieminx]

WTAF? I'd be furious too, I agree letters to the allotment association are a great idea but first off, I'd call the police on the non-emergency 101 number.

Firstly as he has caused criminal damage to your property (and a stern word from the cops as well as the allotments chairperson will help rein him in ) and secondly to get some burglary prevention advice from them. Our local PC did a presentation to the school last year after a spate of burglaries in the village, was quite helpful!

Just sayin that you could sneak out there and cast dandelion heads and poppy seeds all over the place

[FunkyBoldRibena]

I'd put a complaint into the allotment society/council and ask them to replant the hedge and specify the height and width that you want it repaired to. Either they pay or he does; but it needs sorting as a matter or urgency. With a solicitor and a surveyor in the family you should be sorted for legalese to quote.

[notjustamummythankyou]

I've just looked at our council's allotment tenancy agreement (conveniently available online!). He's clearly in breach of two of the clauses: causing 'nuisance and annoyance' to a neighbouring property, and cutting down and taking away vegetation outside of his specific patch.

Good idea about pursuing rectification from the council. We'd have to follow Mr Allotment through the small claims court, so the council might be a better option.

Liking the dandelion solution too. This guy has daffodils in perfect rows - perhaps I need to introduce a more, er, 'informal' way of planting ....

[LocalEditorOxford]

Ooh I'm hopping on your behalf. Please keep us up to date.

I'm a new allotment holder and I am being obsequious in my efforts to ingratiate myself with the natives. Can't believe the brass neck of some people.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

Daffodils? Aren't allotments supposed to be for growing your own food? Not for growing flowers.

*proud allotment holder for many years.

[Foxred10]

If the hedge was a mixed native, you can buy really mature hedge per metre (££££££!!) which is already 'knitted' together and should give you your privacy and security back. Mega expensive but I'd be pursuing allotment twat for the cost - after all why should you have to wait for it to grow because he damaged your property? A company called Practicallty Brown supply big plants, healthy plants, might be worth a look.

[LocalEditorOxford]

Funky - round here there are quite a few allotments growing flowers for flower arranging, possibly in the church, definitely for fete competitions.

[notjustamummythankyou]

I think growing flowers is OK: the agreement mentions 'garden flowers, fruits or crops for the tenant's consumption'.

Pulling up someone else's hedge is not.

[EugenesAxe]

notjust - this is so exciting! Nice to hear of an OP with some teeth that can really hit back at someone being a nob.

But in case you were really thinking about it don't sabotage his plot... you don't need to! I'd hope there's a good chance of him being chucked out for this, and that will gall him exceedingly by the sounds of it.

[notjustamummythankyou]

Don't worry! I'm merely fantasising about chucking a load of wild flower seed amongst his daffs. No leylandii on our side either. Yeeeuch.

[Bearleigh]

Actually it's occurred to me that if he's only cut back the brambles, not dug them up, they will probably grow back pretty quickly. And you might like to plant some other things too to give more variety.