Trees in backyard

charsi16

Hi , Just a quick query
we are looking positively at a mordern house which has 5 trees!! in theback yard. 4 conifirs and 1 other..
Now the estate agent wasnt sure but said that we might not get permission to get these cut.

1/ is there a way to apply for this?
what is the cost?

2/ When in investigated the area on google maps..it seems that the neighbour had asingle tree in the backyard which certainly wasnt there we we saw their back yard..is this promising?

3/ the trees not only block most sunlight..they are really old and huge !! and quiet near the house...heard that some trees roots can grow towards the house and damage the foundation? is that true

any body with any experience around these matters?

Tracey2609

First things first, check with the Local Authority to see if they are protected by a Tree Preservation Order, or if they are in a Conservation Area or if there is a Restrictive Covenant (it may be the land was sold by the L.A - in which case they may place a Restrictive Covenant on the land). Lastly you will need to check to see if there are any Planning Conditions which affect what you can and can't do with the vegetation/trees. The L.A should be able to give you all of this information. I'm not an expert at all - but my understanding is "there is no legal right to light" when it comes to individual trees "dotted about" in a garden, there is legislation relating to high hedges, but this is only if there is more than 1 tree planted closely together to form a hedge. If the tree is protected - it doesn't necessarily mean that you can't do work to them - but you would need to apply to the L.A. Can't really advise when it comes to the foundation. You could try looking for information on the Arboricultural Association's website - www.trees.org.uk

jackieb

How high are the trees? Because the roots usually are spread out about the same width from the trunk, as the tree is high.

charsi16

Thanks. Say around 30- 40 feet..possibly higher! huge..it was very windy today..so they were making a lot of sound!!

BitterAndTwisted

Yes, trees have been known to rustle when it's windy. Wait till they're in full leaf: you won't be able to hear yourself think!

wildbri

We have lived in this bungalow over 35 years, and I planted trees when making the garden, After thirty years. three silver birch were more than 40 foot high and the two pines were much higher, they all looked alarming in strong winds. I hired a contractor and had four of them cut down.

This did make a big difference to the light in the house and garden, neighbours quite some way away said that their houses were much lighter.

I did not ask anyone's permission to cut them down, I planted them I removed them.

I never ask questions if the answer I may get is not the one I want.

regards bri

jackieb

We cut down 12 when we moved here - 8 were leylandi. We never asked anyone either. All were about 30 years old as well.

Tracey2609

Unfortunately just because you've cut down your trees without any problem doesn't mean that the OP can do the same - Local Authorities can impose hefty fines if protected trees are felled. Also just because you've planted a tree doesn't mean that you have the automatically have the right to remove it -a L.A. can place a TPO on a tree that has "visual amenity or impact". My advice stands that you should check out TPO's and Planning Conditions before you buy (these should shown in the Land Registry searches that you do when you move properties).

sonastin

In terms of the foundation question - how old are the trees and how old is the house? Chances are (although not guaranteed), if the trees were in place and mature before the house was built, the soil and roots will have reached equilibrium and the roots won't be draining the ground and causing subsidence. If the house was built during the modern building regs era and the trees were in situ, the foundations will probably be deep enough to take into account the effects of the trees. If the house is older than the trees, the roots could cause a problem to the foundations and the house. The roots can also damage clay pipes so if it is an old house, there could be a problem with the drains as well.

On the other hand, if you cut down the trees, the roots will shrink and the water content of the soil will change and that can cause heave which can also be a problem. It can take several years for the soil to reach equilibrium again and in the meantime you can get all sorts of cracks appearing in the house as the ground it is built on shifts.

But all that is worst case - depends on how far from the house, how extensive the root network is, age of the trees vs age of the property, etc etc.

bandofbrothers

Other option is to walk away !

gunge

Tracey2609 wrote: »

Unfortunately just because you've cut down your trees without any problem doesn't mean that the OP can do the same

Absolutely true. We live in a conservation area and permission is required for the removal of any tree over 7cm diameter at 1m of the ground. Its easy to do though, small fee to the LA and if you dont get a response within 7 days then you can proceed - we did this for some leylandii which no-one in their right might would have cared about.

As already said, the trees could be subject to protection for many reasons so you need to check out all the possibilities before assuming that you are free to do as you please.

Our neighbours are in a difficult position as they chose to cut down some mature broadleaf trees without permission so that they could build an extension. Extension now built and the LA want the trees restored.

G.