Plea to trim back unruly hedges

A community council is asking householders to check to see if their hedges have grown to the point of obstructing pathways and to give them a trim if they have after receiving a complaint about unruly hedges in several locations in Bridge of Earn.

Janice Sloan, secretary of Earn Community Council, said during the group’s most recent monthly meeting they had received correspondence claiming hedges were growing out of control opposite the Bridge of Earn Institute, at Balmanno Park and on Heughfield Road.

Ms Sloan said an overgrown hedge she was aware of on Heughfield Road was on a corner and could be considered a safety risk prompting group chairman John Bruce to ask whether Perth and Kinross Council ought to be notified about it.

Almond and Earn councillor Kathleen Baird confirmed the council could trim the hedge and bill the landowner for doing it but said she would prefer to try and encourage the landowner to do it themselves first.

A spokesperson for the group said after the meeting:“It is easy to forget that hedges grow in all directions. Potentially outward growth is not obvious from inside the garden, resulting in the hedge being overgrown, which can impact by the loss of safe walking space by the narrowing of pavements, paths or affecting roads and sight lines.

“When undertaking work on garden hedges, check that there are no birds nesting, as it is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. The bird nesting season is usually considered to run from March to August.

“With the hope of spring/ summer arriving take note to check your boundary and if so plan and prepare to have your hedge trimmed once nesting seasons have passed.

“Your local authority can force you to cut it back or even to remove it if it is causing a danger or obstruction to pedestrians on the pavement.”