Sad Hedge

Hi Cavalier,
As Alice says it has been a long old cold winter.. I do not know what soil type you have but they do not like being waterlogged in clay type soils.. It may well be slow, but I am doubtful if you said it was going down hill last year... A good feed may do it, but I am doubtful..
Sadly I think you may have a problem.. Hopefully I am wrong
Privet is very prone to honey fungus disease and hedges dying in distinct patches is a characteristic of attack.
Look in the soil at the base of the plants for the characteristic black bootlaces, and remove the bark at the base of the plants to see if a white mycelial sheath is present; these are definite symptoms of attack, also a distinct 'mushroom -y' smell and fungal growths from the base of the shrub, all point to Honey fungus.. If you find it is as sadly this happens with Privet. I should remove the next one before it goes wrong and seal off the area where they grow with a plastic sheet to stop the spread.. You will need to remove the soil as well if it is & replace with fresh when you replant.. I have used Armilartox in the past to streilize the soil, but it doesn't have the nasty stuff that killed it, in it now thanks to the govt..!!
Let us know what you find..