On a calm Sunday morning in February, birdsong is abruptly drowned out by the whirr of electric trimmers. On one small suburban street, the noise rises from three gardens at once. Neighbours glance over fences, pretending not to stare, yet everyone is watching the same thing: the hedge next door. Since February 15, those familiar green barriers have turned into a legal pressure point. Any hedge taller than 2 meters and planted within 50 centimeters of a property line must now be cut back.
No one wants to be the neighbour who gets reported to the town hall.
Still, many homeowners are about to realise their hedge is not just “slightly tall,” but officially non-compliant.
From Privacy Shield to Legal Headache Overnight
At first glance, the rule seems straightforward: from February 15, hedges over 2 meters high and less than 50 cm from a neighbour’s boundary must be trimmed. On paper, it feels harmless. In reality, it strikes at the heart of suburban life: privacy.
For many households, a hedge is far more than decoration. It conceals the terrace, the children’s pool, the untidy washing line. Losing even half a meter of height can feel like exposing daily life to the street and nearby windows.
Take Claire, 47, living in a semi-detached home with a classic photinia hedge running along the fence. When she moved in ten years ago, the shrubs barely reached shoulder height. Today, they form a dense three-meter-tall red-and-green wall.
Her neighbour on the right accepted the shade, quietly pleased to avoid installing a fence. The neighbour on the left was less forgiving, complaining each spring about branches leaning over. After the February 15 enforcement, he printed the regulation and slipped it into her mailbox with a note reading, “We need to talk.”
Behind these everyday moments lies a simple reality. A tall hedge planted too close to a boundary can cause shade, dampness, root pressure, and frequent disputes. Town halls and mediation services see the same issues repeatedly: gardens deprived of sunlight, gutters clogged with leaves, and cracks appearing in low walls.
The 2-meter height and 50-centimeter distance limits are designed to balance the right to plant with the right to enjoy one’s property. A kind of green peace agreement that is now being enforced more seriously than before.
Measuring Correctly, Trimming Smartly, and Avoiding Trouble
Before worrying, start with a simple step: measure your hedge. Check the height from ground level to the tallest branch. If it exceeds 2 meters, then measure the distance from the hedge base to the official boundary, whether that’s a fence, wall, or cadastral line. If it’s under 50 centimeters, the hedge falls into the risk zone.
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Once you have accurate measurements, planning becomes easier. In many cases, trimming the hedge down to 1.80–1.90 meters offers both visual comfort and legal safety.
A common mistake is waiting until a neighbour complains or a registered letter arrives from the town hall. By then, tensions are already high. In small communities, a simple hedge issue can quickly escalate into a years-long standoff.
It’s far better to talk early. A brief conversation explaining that you’ve noticed the new rule and plan to trim can change everything. Asking whether they prefer more light or more privacy often helps. Fifteen minutes of awkward discussion can prevent months of resentment.
Concerns about penalties are often exaggerated online. While sanctions do exist and authorities can require work or issue fines in cases of refusal, most town halls still prioritise dialogue over punishment.
As one municipal mediator puts it, “People imagine garden police with rulers. In reality, we’re called in when neighbour relations have already collapsed. The hedge is just the visible symptom.”
- Measure before trimming, not after
- Keep before-and-after photos
- Note the date and type of work carried out
- Offer to show the result to your neighbour
- Check with the town hall if local rules are unclear
Living With the Rule: Law, Privacy, and Everyday Reality
After the first cut, the garden often feels different. More open. Sometimes even exposed. Some homeowners rediscover a sunset hidden for years, while others suddenly feel watched from the neighbour’s kitchen. This is where regulation meets something personal: how we protect our private space.
Let’s be realistic. Few people pull out a tape measure and legal text every time they start the lawnmower.
The renewed focus around February 15 forces a long-avoided question. Are we willing to share a bit more light and space, or do we cling to a tall wall of greenery even when it breaks the rules? Between official regulations and daily life, there is room for compromise: a slightly lower hedge combined with a light screen, or trimming more aggressively where windows are closest.
Everyone knows that moment of pretending not to notice the branch clearly stretching into the neighbour’s garden.
The coming months will likely bring measuring tapes, gardener quotes, and quiet negotiations over coffee by the fence. Some will realise too late that their three-meter cedar hedge planted 20 cm from the line is no longer just a hedge, but a shared problem. Others will use the moment to rethink their garden boundaries with lighter, more suitable plants.
Between the letter of the law and how people actually live, there is always a messy, human middle ground. That’s where most solutions are found.
Key Takeaways at a Glance
Legal limits: Hedges taller than 2 meters and planted less than 50 cm from a neighbour may face formal demands and penalties, helping you identify risks early.
Practical steps: Measure accurately, trim to a safe height, document the work, and speak with neighbours to reduce conflict and demonstrate good faith.
Conflict prevention: Use the regulation as a reason to reopen dialogue instead of escalating tensions, protecting both garden privacy and neighbourly relationships.
