I live in a small terrace of houses in a rural village. We are a micro- community of people of modest means, surrounded by wealthy landowners. Opposite us, across the narrow lane, is a stone wall which has been neglected. A substantial hedge has grown in front of the wall in the verge. The hedge puts us all into darkness in the evening, reaching a height of over 8 metres, about 3 metres from our front doors/windows . The original wall is only about 2 metres high. The land owner will not trim the top of the hedge because he hates us (we objected to a planning application). The council won't touch the hedge because they say it is his responsibility, even though it is clearly on the verge and not on his property (the wall still exists behind the hedge).
Somebody trimmed the hedge. It is now about 6 metres high, much neater, and the increase in natural light in the evening is fantastic! It would be much better if it was 2 metres high! I got a visit from the police accusing me of trimming the hedge! The landowner called the police when he discovered the hedge had been neatened up a bit, naming me as the main suspect. I know for sure he has no evidence because it wasn't me. Nevertheless the police officer informed me that if I even considered trimming the hedge in the future, I would be in trouble, and that he had been asked to pass that message on to me by the landowner. I informed him that I had considered trimming it in the past, and that I had also planted some daffodils in the verge.
I am now feeling quite irritated, and will definitely set aside an afternoon a year to trimming that hedge in the future. Being irritated, I googled "right to light" and it seems that we might have a case. Do we have a right to light?
T