THE cost of settling rows between warring neighbours over tall boundary hedges could be trimmed.

In the spring, following legislation which came into effect in June, Bromsgrove District Council set a fee of £500 for each application for it to become involved as an independent 'final court of appeal' when a hedge dispute arose.

But Labour believed that £500 was too high and pressed for the fee to be reduced to £150. Last Thursday, they were partly successful when members of the housing and policy scrutiny committee voted to recommend to the executive cabinet that the fee be reduced to £300.

The fee covers council officers' time to investigate the complaint.

Councillor Geoff Hulett (Catshill), one of two Labour councillors who tabled a motion urging a rethink, said: "It was obvious it had not been thought through. Or maybe the council considered it a way of making easy money, particularly as my colleague Councillor Deakin had discovered that by the council's own reckoning it cost just £143 to investigate a claim.

"The high fee was against the spirit of the new law and put it beyond the reach of those it was intended to help," he added.

Cllr Athol Deakin was also delighted. "Malvern charge £50, Worcester City and Redditch charge £150," he said. "Bromsgrove's fee is still high, but we have managed to get it reduced."

He added the council had received 40 complaints from the public about high hedges since June, but he believed because of the cost, none have been proceeded with.

However committee chairman Anthony Blagg (Con-Whitford) said: "It was always the intention to review fees after six months once we knew the actual take up of the service.

"Any new recommendations on charges will need to be reviewed in six months' time. Originally the fee was £500 to prevent council tax payers having to pay for neighbours' disputes, however it now seems fees can be reduced so people can take advantage of the service," he added.