Clause 5 - Remedial notices
High Hedges Bill
11:00 am
Mr John Taylor (Solihull, Conservative)
The clause deals with remedial notices drawn up by a local authority which set out the action to remedy an obstruction of light caused by a high hedge. In practice, those notices will contain a specific requirement to reduce the height of the hedge; they might also contain an on-going requirement to maintain the hedge to prevent problems arising in future. The point made earlier about the registered land charge is relevant.
The local authority cannot require removal of a hedge, or reduction of its height to less than 2 m. The clause sets out in detail what must be included in the remedial notice: as well as the work to be carried out on the hedge, it must specify when the initial remedial work should be carried out and explain the consequences of failing to comply with the notice.