An Addingham resident has asked parish councillors for help in a bid to force house builders to trim fast-growing bushes near his home.

The bushes are notorious Leylandii which grow at a phenomenal rate and have been the cause of numerous and expensive court cases between neighbours because they overshadow property and block out light.

Geoffrey Thompson's rogue bushes have now reached around 20ft and tower over the boundary wall at his home in West Croft off Old Station Way.

The house is on a Wimpey Homes estate and the bushes are on a piece of public ground outside Mr Thompson's boundary, but the company is refusing to trim the bushes.

Ray Birch, Wimpey Homes financial director, said that the trees were already on the land when the builders moved in and now the company was carrying out negotiations for the public parts of the estate to be transferred to local authority control.

"They are mature trees on open space which will belong to the local authority. It is not our liability to cut them because the trees were there in the first place," said Mr Birch.

Mr Thompson, 66, said that when he moved into the house two years ago the bushes were below the height of the boundary wall but had been growing rapidly.

Mr Thompson said: "They look horrible unless they are cut down twice a year. Wimpey have said they are not going to cut them again. They leave a mess on the pavement and I consider the roots to be a danger to my boundary wall."

He also said the bushes at the side of his home restrict his view into the village and the surrounding countryside.

Mr Thompson attended a meeting of Addingham Parish Council to enlist their help in his bid to get Wimpey to cut the trees.

"Can the council get Wimpey to accept their responsibility and come and trim them?'' he asked.

"I have lived here for two years and written for two years and received no satisfaction."

Parish Councillors agreed to contact Wimpey on Mr Thompson's behalf and ask them to reduce he height of the trees.

But when later contacted, Mr Birch was adamant that Wimpey would not cut the trees.

He said the developer was still negotiating with Bradford Council about when they would take over the land and how much money would have to change hands.

"We are not being deliberately awkward and we have done nothing to make it worse," said Mr Birch.

However, he did say that Mr Thompson could trim the trees himself if he wanted to.

"He can do what he wants. They are on our land - if he wants to go and chop them down we will have no objections," said Mr Birch.

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