Each year, Environmental Health receive a number of complaints from residents regarding untidy and overgrown gardens. While these garden conditions may well be an eyesore, we do not have the statutory powers to enforce aesthetically pleasing gardening, and indeed, one person’s untidy garden is another person’s nature reserve.
However, Environmental Health may be able to take action if an overgrown garden is providing harbourage for pests such as rats or mice. We may also be able to act if the garden conditions are having a detrimental impact on the quality of life of residents in the locality, such as from the presence of large accumulations of waste. Please note however that while hay fever is certainly distressing, it is not something that is covered by our legislation, and therefore we are unable to undertake enforcement action in response to complaints of this nature.
If vegetation from your neighbour's land is damaging your property or fence, or overhanging the boundary line, this is not a public health matter. Material can be cut and passed back to the side it's come from, but we recommend you always speak to your neighbour about it first.
If after reading the above you would still like to put forward a complaint or enquiry, please contact our Environmental Health team at EHTeam@n-kesteven.gov.uk.