Question

Any rules on how tall a tree can be in a garden ? I cant even get it all in. Worried about the foundations of my house.  

Answer 1

That's too tall. The fact they're next to each other constitutes as a hedge. That means that if you have to, you can take your neighbors to court If they refuse to lower the height. Bloody hate these conifers they are so ugly and have no Benefit to an average sized garden.  

Answer 2

Wow there huge

Answer 3

You have a right to light which means they can be brought down to 6ft but its something that could take awhile to get it down legally if you go threw the courts etc

Answer 4

Probably best to call local council to find out , if you explain the roots are close to your house they might get it cut down or removed xx

Answer 5

I have called my housing association already. They said if next door was all so housing association they would come and cut them down. But next door is privately owned. No one lives there. I have put a note through the door asking them to knock so we can have a chat about it. But so far in the 5 months I have lived here no one has been to the house.  

Comments

@malemute look up on land registry and buy info to see details of owner

Answer 6

They will be rooted under your house. Rule of thumb is the roots are as wide as the tree is tall

Answer 7

So no point in buying this house then :(

Answer 8

If you have a housing association tell them they need to do it and chase the other half of the money themselves or you'll withhold rent to pay for it.  

Comments

@deprave I know that won't work. They applied for a possession order over arreas of 13. 11p last week.  

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It's not arrears though if you dispute an invoice. you wouldn't be refusing to pay you would be paying the due amount after maintenance costs

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Ive got conifers the same size in my garden. The housing association have refused to cut them down saying I took the house on as it is so it's up to me to do it

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These aint in my garden, otherwise I'd just do it myself x

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@malemute it's a nightmare. Our neighbour went into care early last year. She had refused to cut down the 50/60 foot one in her front garden totally blocking the street lights and all the light to our houses. She also used to feed the rats so we were over run at one point. Council couldn't care less so we all got together and chopped the whole thing down. The House has sat empty for over a year and there's 100s of flies on the window from all the rotting food and stuff inside  so glad she's gone for her own sake as well as ours.  

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@palestine Thanksler Parks report to Environmental Health

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@holeproof we've done it countless times. They just don't seem to care and I'm not sure where else to go with it all. Dread to think what this summer will smell like :(

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@palestine Thanksler Parks

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The last I heard was that they were trying to get her to sell it to pay for her care costs. But I've emailed them 4 times since and got no reply

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@palestine Thanksler Parks contact your local Councillor and get them involved in sorting out. The Council can get it cleaned out and put a charge on it so if Sold they get money back. Also they can sell without her agreement if they go to court

Answer 9

This is how close the first one is to my house.  

Comments

@malemute it use to be closer but us and the people who use to live there took one down x

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I also had a fight over them trees but the people who own next door and too much of a tree hog and wont get rid of them I tried the whole 2 years I was there:( x

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What did they do when you took the first one down?  

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@rugging do you know who owns that house. Can you inbox me xx

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Because it was dead anyway, they just chopped it down bit by bit, it was growing up the houses and they had had enough of it so without the people who own the house knowing they took it down that what the dead bits hanging off the end of the tree in the photo is from, I can find out who it is, I know someone who knows them and contacts them sometimes xx

Answer 10

We have just put in tree pruning thing to council as we are in conservation area, last batch was approved tree warden came round agreed they were a danger to buildings ect all was good this bad boy is getting a 60% reduction

Comments

@ventricose what's a tree warden ?  

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@malemute our council has a tree warden so every application is followed by tree warden visit who has a look before yiu can take down or prune

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Great @ventricose more sun to come into your garden!  

Answer 11

Apparently I was told the roots underground are the height of the tree, how true that is I don’t know

Comments

@spellman777 i took a 6ft tree down from my garden last week and id say the roots were easily just as long in 7 directions x

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@spellman777 they are shallow rooted and will search out water , so yes the roots are as wide as the tree is high.  

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And they will get into your drains and burst or block them

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@spellman777 bigger actually

Answer 12

These ones from the front seem to be online with my gutter. Can I just take them down lol

Comments

@malemute I'd definately say they're on your side! Do it chop them down ⚒

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I think its more to do with the trunk width Tony. In some areas you need planning permission to take down a tree if its over a certain size depending on if its in a consevation area or not. If its really tall play it safe love and get in a tree surgeon ❤

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We took out some of those exact same trees and be warned. They're bloody hard work ! Took 3 men 2 days non stop and alot of swearing !  

Answer 13

There are 11 conifers in there. Shed at bottom absolutely ruined from roots branches overhanging other side ruining property that side fences all ruined from roots, get them down. We viewed house in summer and just thought oooh this is lovely  

Answer 14

If nobody lives there, I would start doing something now if I was you. I'd chop them down in the front and put a fence up. It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. As for the huge ones round the back, maybe start pouring bleach around the roots so they die? I know it's extreme but they wouldn't know if was you. X

Comments

@baptlsta43 id rather talk to the person (when I finally meet them) or take the legal route. Criminal Damage otherwise.  

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They obviously don't seem neighbourly, otherwise they wouldn't have all those trees, they aren't thinking about the other residents. I would definately be doing stuff whilst it's an empty house. X

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@baptlsta43 % Thats what id do too

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@malemute You may never meet them u have tried for 5 months and still nothing trees grow i wouldnt put up with this x

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They will never know it was you chop them down quick .  

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Please don't put bleach on them, it will kill so much wildlife! Drill holes in to the trunks and thick branches and pack with salt.  

Answer 15

They are damaging my fence at the back :(

Comments

@malemute i wouldnt put up with this see my comment x

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Obviously Houseing Association arnt concerned that these are a danger and stopping all light in your gardens or they would have at least paid you a visit What would concern them if your rent stopped !  

Answer 16

Don’t cut them down at this time of year , there may be birds nests in there .  

Answer 17

Get a auger bit and drill , drill into the trunks and poor in bleach or diesel

Comments

@hesketh what a ridiculous comment . That’s criminal damage

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@propagable so you’d expect him to leave a tree to destroy the foundations and his home ?  

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A fine for criminal damage I’d take on the chin over waiting for the council to make a decision the fine would be cheaper than the damage it’s going to cause to his house

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@hesketh no I’d expect HER to take a lawful approach, write to the owners, investigate with the Council etc not just kill the tree and risk it falling on someone

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@propagable 5 months no response it says

Answer 18

I have this problem too! And I live above the neighbour with the garden. Next door neighbour has complained and I've complained to housing association, the bushes were at our Windows , we could open and touch them! The trees have been inspected by tree surgeons driving past and told us they are dead at the top! Branches hanging down , they block our natural light! And council won't do nothing because they lease the property. ! Joke!  

Answer 19

Better, but because they've bushed out so wide, if we trim them, we'll just end up with a whole bunch of brown, as they never grow back. We contemplated getting rid completely, but at £50 each to grind the stumps out, it's just too costly.  

Comments

@sanderlin if you are willing to chop them down yourself you can hire the machine to grind the trunk away.  

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James, I don't think my first post posted. This was them coming down from at least 50ft. It cost us nearly 2. 5k to drop them to around 12ft. It'll cost too much to take them out completely as we'll need to replace it with fencing after stump grinding, but I'll certainly consider hiring for the odd few stumps we have, thanks!  

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@sanderlin depends what you want, I'd like the privacy

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Rosalyn, the trees are a quite manageable now. It's a derelict plot next door so they screen it out well.  

Answer 20

Find a root and put copper nail in it. Eventually will kill it off

Comments

@centurial2944 I thought the trunk. Several.  

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@centurial2944 How does that work?  

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Don’t think it would work on trees that size but girdling might have a better chance‍♀️ x

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Copper has to hit the centre of the trunk, then it will die.  

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@centurial2944 and thats just one nail ‍♀️

Answer 21

The general rule is if they grow over your boundary you are allowed to cut the overhang of and put it back over the neighbours garden. So as not to be charged as theft!  

Comments

@indistinctive no that’s a myth. if you wanted to build an extension and neighbours have trees. you need to leave enough room for them the maintain the trees

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@endoderm are you sure. The guide I have read is that you are allowed to cut them back to the fence line.  

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@maddock65261 I’m in wales maybe different. but called the council about trees and told you need permission from the owner

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@endoderm . Could be a Wales thing.  
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profi...=1022

Answer 22

I think you might find some help about high hedges on the government website. I'm not sure but I think there is a booklet

Comments

@hypersthene can’t be over certain footage . but still need to put an application in for council committee at your cost

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@hypersthene 6 foot is limit

Answer 23

do a couple of Google searches, as most of the people on here are wrong.  
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profi...=1022

Answer 24

Ayden can help if you want a. d.  

Answer 25

There are rules with trees and need to contact your neighbours. If you can not come to a handshake, you then need to lodge a complaint and then maybe then go down the legal route that can take years.  

Answer 26

Your neighbour has to sort them out. If you ask and they refuse then contact your local antisocial behaviour and ask for advice. I know afew people near me have been told by the local Authority to chop their trees or they would be given a hefty fine

Answer 27

These need chopping back

Answer 28

Be warned- depending on your soil type taking them out completely caused more damage than leaving them in because the ground can heave upwards. Better to reduce them gradually over a couple of years- can you offer to pay some of the cost to get a tree surgeon to do it properly?  

Answer 29

If you didn't plant theses trees and do not own the house /garden they are growing in than the housing association/council should be responsible in the cutting or the removing of them . If you are the home owner than you need a good tree surgeon X