Replace hedge with what

[markcairns67]

We live in a narrow mid terrace with a single car driveway. An ugly short hedge separates our driveway from the neighbours' on the right.

The roots/stem of the hedge are on both properties and this bloody thing grows like crazy, collects all sorts of rubbish and intrudes into the narrow walkway that remains after parking.

My partner has bought a motorcycle and now parks it next to the car, leaving almost no space to walk through.

Anyways, to cut a long story short, in an ideal world I just want to get rid of the hedge completely, put down some paving stones on the loose dirt and put up a very small wall/fence on the border to demarcate the drives. That'll give us a couple of extra feet width, make life much easier and the

I spoke to the neighbour about this and unfortunately she does not want to touch the hedge. She said I can do whatever I want on my side but to leave her side of the hedge alone.

What would you suggest doing? I could trim the hedge all the way to the border but I'm worried if I do that and put a wall/fence up the hedge is just going to push it over. It is bloody strong!

 

[Old Salt]

Which house is yours as the right hand side of the hedge is brown and should be near enough to dying on its own. A nice picket fence should give you the room needed without being in your face. Some decent posts set in concrete and discreetly chopping through the roots should see it done.

 

[JohnD]

What would you suggest doing? I could trim the hedge all the way to the border

So do that.

 

[foxhole]

Is it shared hedge or did one side plant it?

 

[Diver Fred]

how about a photo from further away to show the houses and drives, please.

 

[markcairns67]

Which house is yours as the right hand side of the hedge is brown and should be near enough to dying on its own. A nice picket fence should give you the room needed without being in your face. Some decent posts set in concrete and discreetly chopping through the roots should see it done.

Thanks Old Salt. My house is the one on the right, with the car on the driveway.

Wouldn't putting down posts in concrete require some disturbance to the neighbour's land, at least at the digging phase?

 

[markcairns67]

It's been there forever, I'm guessing from when the builder completed the terrace in the early 2000s.

As far as I can tell it's 'shared' as the middle of the hedge is right on the boundary

Is it shared hedge or did one side plant it?

 

[Old Salt]

For a picket fence the posts don't need to be huge and the post line could be done on your land just inside the boundary.

 

[Fred Blogs]

I would also have a chat with your neighbour if you are on speaking terms.

 

[Alec_t]

Wouldn't putting down posts in concrete require some disturbance to the neighbour's land, at least at the digging phase?

The land would be disturbed anyway when the hedge is removed (assuming root clumps are removed).

 

[JohnD]

Thanks Old Salt. My house is the one on the right, with the car on the driveway.

Wouldn't putting down posts in concrete require some disturbance to the neighbour's land, at least at the digging phase?

The posts will be about six feet apart. The face of the fence facing the neighbour should be on the boundary line, so the post is inside the boundary on your side.