This would be a shame!

[Steve Bullman]

Council order pensioner, 89, to cut back 'dangerous' yew hedge he has lovingly tended for 40 years 'because of health and safety' | Daily Mail Online

 

Council bosses have ordered an 89-year-old pensioner to trim his 110-yard long historic hedge back to stumps over health and safety fears - because it overhangs a footpath.

Roy Dowson has been ordered to trim the 140-year-old yew bush, which is 8ft high, after pedestrians complained there isn't room to walk along the pavement.

Officials from Lincolnshire County Council's highways department visited his home in the sleepy village of Burton, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday and ordered Mr Dowson to chop back the hedgerow by February 24.

 

 

 

 

Roy Dowson has been ordered to trim the 140-year-old yew bush, which is 8.2ft high, after pedestrians complained there isn't room to walk along the pavement

 

 

 

 

 

Lincolnshire County Council's highways department visited his home in the sleepy village of Burton-by-Lincoln, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday and ordered Mr Dowson (pictured) to chop back the hedgerow by February 24

 

But the pensioner, who has the hedge trimmed every year, says cutting it back level with the wall would completely ruin his pride and joy.

Mr Dowson, who owns a construction firm, said: 'The council have ordered me to cut the hedge back to 2ft, level with the wall and if I do that it will absolutely wreck it.

'I've been at the property for 40 years and the hedge was planted in 1880 as part of the Burton estate.

 

 

 

'I have the hedge trimmed every year and I think they're making a mountain out of a molehill.

'I think they have gone a bit too far making us cut it back all the way to the wall. It only over hangs the footpath by a matter of inches and if someone my age can walk by it without a problem then I don't see what the fuss is.

'I've been here 40 years and never had a problem and somebody else lived here 40 years before me without an issue. We don't know who complained because it was anonymous but it is just health and safety gone mad.

'I pay contractors to trim it every year and keep it nice and tidy and it is an important part of the village's history. I don't want it to be trimmed back but I have no choice as they have given me a court order.

'If I don't cut it back then they will come and do it themselves and give me the bill. It will cost me thousands of pounds to pay somebody to cut it back to the wall because it is 100 metres long. It will be ruined being cut back that far and I don't even know if it will ever grow back the same again.'

His daughter, Heather Dowson, from Canwick, Lincolnshire, added: 'The hedge overhangs the footpath by about a third and we think some anonymous villagers have complained that two people cannot walk side by side, but you can still do so.

'Yew is very slow growing and it will take a while to look any good if it's cut down.'

 

 

 

 

The red border shows the extent of the hedge, which the council says obscures two blind bends, presenting a risk to the safety of pedestrians

 

 

 

 

 

The pensioner, who has the hedge trimmed every year, says cutting it back level with the wall would completely ruin his pride and joy

 

The historic hedge was planted in 1880 and is a well-known feature of the sleepy village of Burton-by-Lincoln, which features in the Domesday Book.

Councillor John Copeland, who sits on Burton-by-Lincoln Parish Council, is also supporting Mr Dowson and said cutting back the popular bush would be 'environmental vandalism'.

He added: 'You can easily walk along the path and this hedge is a lovely feature of the village that should be looked after.

'We tried to put our compromise saying that a few of the more overhanging parts could be cut back but they totally rejected our argument and the whole width of the hedge has to be cut right back level with the wall.

'The hedge is a prominent feature of the village and this is health and safety gone mad that will result in act of environmental vandalism.'

 

 

 

 

The historic hedge was planted in 1880 and is a well-known feature of the sleepy village of Burton-by-Lincoln, which features in the Domesday Book

 

Lib Dem Councillor David Cotton, who represents the village on West Lindsey District Council, added: 'Cutting this hedge will alter the whole way Burton is perceived.

'I've been a councillor for 16 years and this has never been raised as an issue in all that time and I certainly support its retention.'

But Lincolnshire County Council yesterday defended the decision and said the hedge was putting people at 'risk from passing traffic'.

Paul Little, Highways Network Manager North, added: 'We have had to ask a resident in Burton to cut the yew hedge back outside his property to ensure the safety of pedestrians wishing to use the pavement.

'The hedge is encroaching over half of the pavement width in some places, and we've received several complaints from pedestrians who have been forced to walk in the road in between two blind bends, particularly if two people need to pass each other.

'This is clearly putting them at unnecessary risk from passing traffic.'

 

 

Edited January 27, 2016 by Steve Bullman

[sean]

Some people! There's loads of room on that path.

[sean]

He sshould go and photograph all the Council trees and hedges and bushes that cause a nuisance due to lack of management. I'm sure he'd find many examples

[Steve Bullman]

Some people! There's loads of room on that path.

 

Its ridiculous.

'The hedge is encroaching over half of the pavement width in some places, and we've received several complaints from pedestrians who have been forced to walk in the road in between two blind bends, particularly if two people need to pass each other.

 

Heaven forbid they have to use their common sense in such a scenario as to avoid walking on the road.

[Gray git]

That's ridiculous, hope he gets to keep it like it is.

[Logged On]

Cut it back!!??

 

You what I'd like to CUT OFF!!!

 

OK, the story's in the 'Daily Fail'...

 

But surely someone somewhere will see sense before it's too late!

[arbormonkey]

Absolutely ridiculous as said above many council trees have lack of management an they pick on his pride of joy

[stihlmadasever]

Nothing surprises me with councils nowadays,absolute joke

[SteveA]

Madness, I have two solutions....

 

a) get the hedge Grade 1 listed

b) put up "No Access for Fat People" signs

 

cheers, steve

[Gnome]

Heartbreaking for the old chap.

He needs to get his footwear sorted out as well.