Hi Ray, I downloaded this bit of info for you, hope it helps!
Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992
This gives limited right of access to a neighbours garden/land to carry out "basic preservation works". Until this Act was passed, adjoining owners had virtually no right to go onto their neighbour's land under any circumstances unless it was contained in the Title Deeds. The Title Deeds may well contain a right to go onto your neighbour's land to maintain e.g. drains, pipes and wires particularly if your is a house on a new estate. The right given by the Act has strict rules attached to it. Written notification must be given to the next door garden owner and it is enforceable by Court Order if access is denied.
What does "basic preservation works include"? In the case of gardens:
"the clearance, repair or renewal of any drain, sewer, pipe or cable so comprised or situate;
the treatment, cutting back, felling, removal or replacement of any hedge, tree, shrub or other growing thing which is so comprised and which is, or is in danger of becoming, damaged, diseased, dangerous, insecurely rooted of dead; filling in, or clearance of any ditch ……."
It should be noted that the Act does apply to party walls.
I've got the opposite problem! My neighbours garden is a nightmare, she's got a bramble bush that's about 20 foot by 20 foot and about 7 foot high right next to my fence (which is crumbling under the pressure) yet she's elderly and she's slightly disabled, so it's costing me a fortune in weed killer as I can't expect her to do anything! Annoying thing is I had all my garden gravelled so
I didn't have to worry about maintenance!!