In article , Sacha
writes

The fuss is because many such hedges are *not* managed properly and the one
the OP is talking about is a case in point. It was allowed to get much too
tall and still is, from their point of view, I should think. While *you*
are managing your hedge, all is well but what if you sell the house? Will
the next owner be as conscientious, have the time, care as much?

Oh, for heaven's sake! I'm willing to take responsibility for what I do
in my garden while it is my garden, but I do not see that I have
responsibility to manage it a way that would ensure a future owner could
not annoy the neighbours.

After all, this argument also applies to beech hedges - *you* may manage
your beech hedge, but a future owner may not and, after all, beech are
forest trees. If you follow this argument, then the only allowable
hedges are those from shrubs which will never reach more than 6 ft.


And IMO,
while you look after your hedge well, if someone wants a hedge to maintain
at 8' then planting beech will achieve the same results, more attractively
in what is my subjective opinion admittedly, and will put something back
into the soil each year.
Thank you for the night time act of daring! ;-)

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"