I live in the circular end of a tiny cul-de-sac, where all front gardens are wedge-shaped. Some owners have paved their front gardens to use as driveways, others are too narrow at their front for vehicular access. A new neighbour with this narrow access problem wants to use their front garden for car parking. To drive on, they’d need to partially cross the front drive of either myself or a neighbour on the other side.

This other neighbour appears to have refused such an arrangement, despite having no physical boundary in the way. We were asked next. We’d have to remove a 2 to 3 metre length of a boundary hedge to give them the width for car access, plus accept a more restrictive parking arrangement. We’d never be able to park in front of our drive (else block their access), in effect creating a partially shared driveway. We’ve told them that we don’t want a shared driveway access arrangement (problematic, and affecting future sale) and do not want to lose the boundary hedge which we believe is ours (though online Land Registry plans for all houses fail to mention ownership).

The new neighbours were very unhappy that neither neighbour wants a shared access arrangement. They are a building trade family, not slow to undertake substantial work, and we fear that they might try to do something without consent/in our absence.

I’d like confirmation that we can refuse access over our driveway; that we are entitled to replace any removed hedge with some similar fence or boundary to prevent access; and how best to deal with any such unauthorised damage to our hedge if it happened. Would this be best dealt with as a Police criminal damage and/or trespass complaint?

Optional Information:
Province/Country relating to question : England

Already Tried:
Nothing beyond speaking with neighbours, refusing their request.