Living with an overgrown garden or a neighbour’s plants? This page has helpful information for residents. It explains your options for solving problems like pests or overhanging branches.
Issues with gardens
We do not offer a service to clear overgrown gardens.
While an overgrown garden can look unpleasant, it is not usually a public health nuisance or an environmental health issue. This means there is often no legal reason for the council to get involved.
PermalinkGarden owners have a responsibility to make sure their property doesn’t become a home for pests like rats.
If you have rats or mice on your property, you can call our recommended pest control service, even if you think they are coming from somewhere else.
Our recommended service is AGS One pest control. If you use them, the pest controller will try to find out where the pests are coming from.
If the pest controller is certain that a large number of rats or mice are living in a neighbour’s overgrown garden, they will report it to our Environmental Protection team.
The Environmental Protection team can then take formal action. This could involve formal action to ensure the garden is cleared, repairs are carried out, and bait and traps are laid.
Please note: Seeing a rat occasionally is very common. We will only investigate a complaint about an overgrown garden if there is clear proof of a pest infestation.
PermalinkA neighbour’s plants are growing into your garden
You have the right to trim any branches, hedges, or roots that have grown into your property from a neighbour’s garden. You can only cut them back as far as your property line.
Talk to your neighbour first before you cut anything, a friendly chat can often solve the problem.
They might not realise it’s an issue, or they may be struggling to look after their garden. In that case, they might appreciate help from local charities or volunteer groups.
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