According to my book, thin, weak hedges of privet can be cut down to about 6 inches in late winter. Given a feed in March, and again 6 weeks later, they recover and grow on. I take that to mean that you should be able to reduce your hedge to a more manageable size without too much risk. It won't look great till growth starts again though...

I was told that with a mature hedge if you cut one side hard back one year and the other the next they survive better. If it is thin it should be OK if you cut it back.

Privet is a great recoverer, like laurel, which can be cut back drastically to its main trunk. Linda235 is quite right for icey or drought conditions, giving the hedge time to recover between cuttings. However, if your weather is milder, then I see no problems in waiting until March, when the sap will be fully rising, and despite any hard frosts at that time, cutting back your hedge will be okay. New growth will come through during spring and summer. Water occasionally in any dry spells, and you should, with regular trimming, have a green compact hedge within two seasons.

I would back up what Linda says - if you cut one side this year and the other next year you won't have to do without a hedge in the meantime. However if you go with cutting it all right back I guess it would grow back thicker. Swings and roundabouts, but either way it should come back cheerfully.

the hedging you shouldnt cut back hard is leylandii unless like me youd cut it to the floor lol .

Indeed, Noseypotter, it cuts at the top without problem, but the sides is another matter, and especially no trimming in frost~!! Guess you killed yours totally? Was that deliberate? It might eventually re-grow through in the next few years .... :-))))

i was never unllucky enough to plant any thow i believe it looks nice say in a huge estate with plenty of other large trees . they all have there place . i generaly like plants/trees to grow there natural shape realy plus the hassle all summer of keeping a hedge the sameas its always been ie square,oblong etc . thow i have made a cherry tree into a climber bye bye wrapinning it round my oldswing round my head sculpture in my front garden but that was just to see if i could . people ask me what climber it is lol . i guess we are all hypocryts to a greater or lesser degree lol avkq47