Getting a neighbour to look after their garden?

We have a neighbour who has not touched their garden in at least 10 years

It is severely overgrown and our shared hedge is dead in places - we have had to pay to reinstate some of the hedge but they refuse to do anything and the new hedge is just dying too

It is an utter mess but the council don't seem to be interested - what could we do?

Privately owned or tenants?

Its their garden, no landlord

It's a different council, but their page sums the situation up quite well:

http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Housing/helpsupportadvice/HealthNuisance/OvergrownGarden.aspx

Consider a fence?

 

Consider a fence?

Perhaps the OP could apply for a grant for their neighbour and it could become a nature sanctuary?

Ask him if he needs any help with it and do it together.

Ask him if he needs any help with it and do it together.

Its a lovely idea and I did used to do some gardening for them, but they dont seem to want to take any responsibilty for themselves and I have enough of my own stuff without taking on theirs too

Well apparently if you have a council property you can get your gardening done for for free !

Well apparently if you have a council property you can get your gardening done for for free !

Had a chat with Environmental Services and its possible the Council can help this fella out - dont want to be a bad neighbour but there are limits - I think the help is based on whether you get certain benefits or not and not just for council property. We shall see

Well apparently if you have a council property you can get your gardening done for for free !

I doubt that is true. Unless perhaps it is for a disabled council tenant?

Have you got a local neighbourhood watch group that may have members willing and able to help him?

We have a neighbour who has not touched their garden in at least 10 years

 

It is severely overgrown and our shared hedge is dead in places - we have had to pay to reinstate some of the hedge but they refuse to do anything and the new hedge is just dying too.

If there's really no change, and if you feel strongly enough about it, you might have grounds to sue for damages on the basis of 'nuisance' (a tort, i.e. a civil wrong); but that's an expensive route, depends on you proving your quantifiable loss, and might be seen as a bit over-the-top.