Nearly 12,000 enraged Brits have made an official complaint about their neighbour’s garden over the last year, new data has revealed.
Airtasker’s ‘Garden gripe report’ named London as the ‘UK’s Garden gripe capital’, accounting for 1,333 complaints from frustrated residents, with overgrown hedges named the biggest problem.
The findings come after local services marketplace, Airtasker, conducted a three-month-long investigation into one of the most common causes of arguments across neighbourhoods in Britain: garden disputes. By submitting Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every local authority across the UK, the investigation was able to paint acomprehensive picture of the nation’s garden gripes.
Greater London leads as the region with the most complaints, racking up 1,989 in the last year alone. While the data shows those in the North West clocked up 1,174complaints since May last year. This was closely followed by Brits in the South East (1,032 complaints) and the West Midlands (816 complaints).
Commenting on the research, CEO and Founder of Airtasker, Tim Fung said, “As a platform we pride ourselves on helping hundreds of people fix up their gardens every year and keep them under control. But, as we near the end of summer, many gardens across the UK will have grown out of control if they’ve not been managed.
“For those that don’t have the time or feel unable to tackle key jobs in the garden it seems outsourcing these tasks to an expert is becoming an increasingly popular choice. Our own data further highlights this - in July we saw a 763% year-on-year increase in gardening tasks posted to our site.
“We hope our investigation can help to shine a light on the unruly gardens’ causing friction amongst local residents, and encourage those in power to take the appropriate action in addressing this issue.”
The experts at Airtasker also offered advice on how Brits can resolve three common garden disputes:
Pruning overhanging trees/bushes
You are allowed to prune branches that overhang into your property up to the boundary line. However, always communicate with your neighbour first, as improper pruning leading to damage could result in a costly property damage claim.
Light being blocked by high hedges and bushes
A neighbour’s high hedge or shed blocking light can lead to disputes due to the ‘right to light,’ which entitles a person to a certain amount of natural light. Ignoring this right may result in legal action or compensation claims.
Invasive plants and weeds
If invasive plants like Japanese knotweed are in your garden, take immediate steps to prevent them from spreading, as this can be a criminal offence. Seek professional advice for removal and consult a dispute lawyer if needed, as landowners may seek an injunction or compensation for damages.
