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The Medway high hedge complaint timeline, explained.

Most boundary hedge disputes never reach the council. Talking to the neighbour, or getting a contractor to sort the hedge, solves nearly all of them. But if it does escalate, here's the actual sequence a formal complaint follows under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

Before any formal complaint: what the law actually covers

Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 gives local authorities, Medway Council for anywhere in Chatham, Gillingham or Rochester, the power to deal with complaints about a high hedge. It applies to a hedge of two or more evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs, over 2 metres tall, that is judged to unreasonably block light or access to a neighbouring domestic property. It does not cover a single tree, a deciduous hedge that loses its leaves, or a hedge under 2 metres, however untidy.

1. Before you complain: direct contact

   Medway Council, like every authority operating this legislation, expects you to have genuinely tried to resolve the issue directly with the hedge owner first, a conversation, a letter, mediation if available, before a formal complaint will be accepted. Medway describes the council as a last resort and says you must show you made every attempt to overcome the issue before contacting it.

2. Submitting the complaint

   A formal written complaint goes to the council on their high hedges complaint form, with the required fee (Medway Council's high hedges page currently gives a non-refundable £420 for a valid complaint; check the current figure before you apply) and supporting evidence: photos, measurements, and a description of how the hedge is affecting light or access to your property.

3. Eligibility check

   The council first checks the complaint meets the legal definition, right height, right hedge type, right kind of nuisance, before opening a full investigation. Complaints that don't meet the definition (a deciduous hedge, or one under 2 metres) are rejected at this stage.

4. Investigation, including a site visit

   An officer visits both properties, assesses the hedge's height, the degree of light loss, and any factors on either side (including whether the hedge provides screening or wildlife value worth weighing against the complaint). Both parties get the chance to comment before a decision is made.

5. Decision, allow at least 12 weeks

   The Act sets no timetable for the council to reach a decision. The government's guidance for complainants advises people not to expect a decision for at least 12 weeks, and the time taken varies with council workload and case complexity. The decision can dismiss the complaint, or issue a remedial notice requiring the hedge owner to reduce the hedge to a specified height and maintain it there.

6. Appeal window

   Either party can appeal a remedial notice, generally within 28 days of the decision, to the Planning Inspectorate. An appeal suspends the notice until determined.

Why we'd rather you never get here

A hedge on a normal twice-yearly trimming schedule almost never reaches the 2-metre unreasonable-light-loss threshold that triggers this process. See our conifer and leylandii page for routine management, or our staged reduction guide if the hedge is already overgrown and you want to get ahead of a dispute rather than wait for one. If you're still working out which legal route applies to your situation, including questions about ownership, overhanging branches, roots, and conservation area complications, our neighbour hedge law guide covers the full escalation path.

Sources: Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, Part 8; Medway Council high hedges guidance; UK Government "High hedges complaints: prevention and cure" guidance for local authorities.