Finding ownership of unused land on my estate

[gnomey]

Does anyone know the best way to find who is responsible for the upkeep (I guess who owns the freehold) for a patch of land on a (private) residential housing estate ?

My property is situated within a fenced area which surrounds 12 houses. Outside the fence, there is a small patch which has bushes growing there. The bushes are extremely overgrown and obstructing the entrance gate to the fenced area where my house (and 11 others) are. This bushed area is next to the public footpath (owned by the council I guess?).

No-one seems to have done anything about the upkeep of the area and it is very shabby, I guess they all use other gates in the fenced area (there are three other gates). I would like to sort this out as I am trying to rent my property again, but apart from the impediment of living abroad, I am afraid to cut anything down which is not mine.

There is also a communal drying area which no-one appears to upkeep (I have pruned and cut back bushes on my patch), and I also wonder who is responsible for that too.

According to my letting agency the council are responsible for the upkeep of the hedges etc, but they deny this !

Any help greatly appreciated

Gnomey

[Ericthelobster]

Does anyone know the best way to find who is responsible for the upkeep (I guess who owns the freehold) for a patch of land on a (private) residential housing estate ?Try http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/kb/Default.asp?ToDo=view&questId=8&catId=2

[Poppy]

I don’t understand.

Does anyone know the best way to find who is responsible for the upkeep (I guess who owns the freehold) for a patch of land on a (private) residential housing estate ?
Is this area part of your estate/development? If not, then as Ericthelobster suggests you could find out the owner’s details from the Land Registry and take things from there. It’s a pity you don’t live nearby because then you might try quietly cutting the bush yourself.

There is also a communal drying area which no-one appears to upkeep (I have pruned and cut back bushes on my patch), and I also wonder who is responsible for that too.
Is this area part of your estate/development? If so, then you need to write to the freeholder to point out the problem.

[SteveP]

It is worth pointing out that nobody is obliged to maintain their hedges/fences, even if they have covenented to do so, as odd as that may seem.

If someone elses hedge grows over adjoining land then the owner of that is trespass and the adjoining owner can remove the trespass without any need to take legal action.

Of course it is worth asking the owner to trim the hedge if you can track him down, but the local authority do have an obligation to maintain the highway and they also have the right (if not the obligation) to trim the hedge. So go back to them and if they don't play ball speak to a councillor.