Our beautiful hedge was massacred by bumbling council workers & we’re horrified – it’s a total mess now
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RESIDENTS have slammed bumbling council jobsworths who massacred their hedge, leaving it a mess.
Council workers in Colehill, Dorset were accused by shocked locals of destroying what had been a pretty boundary along the pavement.
Nothing was left of the pleasant greenery in Park Homer Drive except for a few stumps and roots.
Homeowners said they had spent 10 years happily maintaining the hedgerow themselves to make the suburban road more attractive and because it was important for wildlife.
They claimed the "hatchet job" has had a dramatic effect on the character of the neighbourhood and are fuming they had not been warned of the work in advance.
But Dorset Council said the shrubs were cut down for safety reasons as they caused a hazard to both walkers on the footpath and road users.
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A spokeswoman said they had originally pruned the top of the greenery because it restricted the sight line for motorists.
When carrying out their annual hedge cut last summer workers realised the shrubs needed more maintenance than the council could provide so got rid of them altogether.
Resident Andrew Kenyon said: "My complaint is there has been no negotiation with the neighbours at all.
"There has been no consultation or anybody telling us what was going to happen.
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Local authorities cannot automatically take action when a hedge grows over 2m, unless a justifiable complaint is made.
Although high hedges law cannot be used to pre-empt hedge growth, it may legally be decided that a hedge needs to be cut back in stages to minimise the risk of killing it.