UK NEWS

NEIGHBOUR WINS 24-YEAR BATTLE TO HAVE 49FT GARDEN HEDGE CUT BACK

Christine Wright: In front of the offending hedge

Saturday May 17,2008

By David Pilditch

A WOMAN has won a 24-year war with her neighbours over a hedge.

Christine Wright was overjoyed yesterday after an official trim was ordered.

The huge hedge has blocked sunlight into her garden, stopping plants growing.

But she has finally won a crucial council ruling.

Mrs Wright, who lives with her daughter Bryony, 21, said: “I can’t believe it has been resolved. I am so happy.

“It will make an amazing difference. We will be able to sit in the garden in the evenings and have barbecues. I am quite a gardener and I used to grow vegetables but I had to cover the whole garden with grass as nothing would grow.

I can’t believe it has been resolved. I am so happy

Christine Wright

Mrs Wright, pictured below in her garden at Frettenham, near Norwich, said the dispute blew up with her previous neighbours in 1984 after they planted more than 100 Leylandii conifers along the boundary between their homes. The fast-growing trees, which now tower up to 49ft, run the length of the 50-yard long boundary.

She said David Pursey and his wife bought the property next door to her five years ago but did not cut the trees down.

Now Broadland District Council has ruled the trees must be slashed to 40ft by September, and then to around 30ft in a year’s time.

Mrs Wright added: “We moved here in 1981 and one of the reasons was the views of the countryside. Over the years my ex-husband went to see the person who put the trees in and they said they would take them down.

“The people who moved in after that were happy for me to cut the tops off but I would have to pay for it. My point was that it wouldn’t do any good because I’d spend all this money and they would keep growing back.”

The Purseys last night said they were happy to co-operate with the council’s orders.