How you can help us

Cutting back your own shrubs and hedges

Please cut back your own vegetation if it is overhanging a road or footpath and causing an issue or obstruction.

Always make sure you can carry out any maintenance safely, wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and be aware of highway pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

See how to get rid of your cuttings at your local household waste recycling centre.

If you see a build-up of litter report this to the local council so it can be cleared by their street cleaning teams.

Cutting back highway owned shrubs and hedges outside your home

You can gently prune the seasonal growth on highway shrubs or hedges outside your home if you can do it safely. All cuttings must be removed and disposed of responsibly and safely. We are unable to collect them from you. You must not dig up and remove highway shrubs and hedges. We may ask you to replace them if you do.

Remember there may be birds nesting between March and September. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to disturb the nests of wild birds so you should check the areas you plan to cut first.

Report an overgrown hedge

If a hedge we maintain has not been cut back through the year, let us know by using our online reporting tool.

If the hedges are not maintained by us, it is likely to be either district council, parish council or housing association.