Politics & Council · Trowbridge
Southwick couple left with £1,300 bill after conflicting council hedge instructions
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
A Wiltshire couple paid for unnecessary hedge removal work after receiving conflicting instructions from the council, leading to a formal complaint and a quest for reimbursement.
A Southwick couple are seeking compensation from Wiltshire Council after they were forced to pay for the removal of a hedge that the local authority subsequently declared did not require any work.
Jo and Greg Shailes, who live on Bradley Road, had already trimmed their hedge in September, following the end of the annual bird nesting season. However, they were soon contacted by the council and informed that a further metre of the hedge needed to be cut back to avoid enforcement action.
The couple opted to hire contractors to complete the work at a cost of £498 to ensure they remained compliant with local regulations. On 7 October, as the work was being carried out, they received an email from the council stating that no further action was required, as the hedge was not obstructing the footway, overhanging the highway, or posing a hazard to road users.
Mrs Shailes expressed her frustration at the speed at which the council’s position shifted. She noted that as recently as 1 October, the council maintained that the notice remained in force and that the additional metre of hedge had to be removed. She explained that nothing material had changed regarding the state of the hedge during that six-day interval.
Following the removal of the hedge, the couple have spent an additional £880 to install a fence to maintain the security and privacy of their garden, bringing their total out-of-pocket costs to approximately £1,300. The couple have now launched a formal complaint, requesting that the council explain the contradictory instructions and reimburse the costs incurred.
Mrs Shailes said: "We had all this back and forth, inspections, correspondence and the prospect of enforcement, only to ultimately have the hedge removed. What we'd like now is for the council to give us a straight answer to that question, acknowledge the impact this whole process has had on us, reimburse the costs we've unnecessarily incurred and make sure another resident doesn't end up in the same position."
This is not the first time the couple have been at odds with the council regarding their property. Previously, they installed a convex mirror outside their home to improve road visibility, which the council eventually allowed them to keep, though it described the hedge as a separate, unresolved issue at the time.
Wiltshire Council has declined to provide specific details regarding the change in its assessment or the possibility of reimbursement while the formal complaint is ongoing. Council leader Councillor Ian Thorn stated: "This matter is being reviewed through our complaints process, so it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage."
Source: Gazette & Herald · View original