We aren't able to take action on reports of overgrown or untidy gardens. There is no standard that gardens need to meet.

When to make a report 

Each year, the Environmental Health team receives many complaints from residents about overgrown gardens.  In the majority of cases, while the gardens may look untidy or unsightly, the council does not have any powers to require these overgrown gardens to be tidied.  There is no standard that gardens need to meet and indeed one person's untidy garden can be another's nature reserve.

  • If vegetation from overgrown gardens is encroaching over the property boundary it can be cut off by the affected property owner to the boundary line and passed back to the overgrown side.
  • If vegetation is encroaching onto the pavement please report this to the council Highways Team

Environmental Health may be able to take action if an overgrown garden is providing harbourage for pests such as rats or mice; or there are invasive plants like Japanese Knotweed; or if there is a legally defined 'High Hedge'   Please note that foxes are not considered a pest. Residents are asked to make sure that their gardens do not provide potential harbourage for pests. 

Report an issue with an overgrown garden

Garden waste

Garden waste can be recycled by taking them to our amenity site on Kimpton Way or by using our garden waste collection service..

Encroaching over the property boundary

If vegetation from overgrown gardens is encroaching over the property boundary, it can be:

  • cut off by the affected property owner to the boundary line, and
  • passed back to the overgrown side