Request to trim tree in garden

Mojisola

bunberry wrote: »

Update - contacted the council who confirmed that there's a TPO in effect on this area, so looks like that neighbour might be out of luck.

Did someone from the council actually say this? Did they mean you live in a conservation area? You do need to ask permission to prune or fell trees if you do.

phoebe1989seb

I really feel for you OP - buying and moving into a new home, then being faced with this :mad:

We've been in a similar situation so understand what you're going through. When we bought our last house, the first thing our next door neighbour (both detached houses, ours much older, he formerly owned ours some 20 years before, then went on to build his new house in the garden before selling *ours* on) introduced himself by asking when we were going to remove the tree in our front garden as he/his wife didn't like it! Apparently they'd been moaning about it to the previous owner for ages - the PO hadn't planted the tree (a Lawson Cypress) and nor had the complaining neighbour, but it was now some 20'+ high - and as the PO was selling, they weren't interested in the expense or hassle of getting it taken down.

We, OTOH, really liked the tree - we'd also only been there five minutes and wanted to settle in before making decisions about the garden It turned out that what they found most annoying was the fact the tree dropped lots of pines onto their gravelled driveway, which the wife then used to actually attempt to vacuum up!

To cut a long story short, we told them we liked the tree and it was staying but had to concede that they were welcome to prune their side back to the boundary fence, little realising they would literally cut the tree in half vertically - it looked absolutely terrible, especially when approaching from their end of the road.......

After that we had very little to do with them - he was a rather intimidating man in his 60s that I was a bit scared of tbh - and we were only too glad to sell the house three years later. Our buyers actually told us they received a chainsaw as a house warming gift (:eek:) and you can guess where they put it to use first! In fact they took down most of the established specimen trees that had been planted over the years. Didn't do our former neighbour much good though as we heard that he passed away a few months later.......

Anyhoo, OP, I would definitely not kowtow to your neighbour - it's obvious those trees are not yours and you shouldn't be made to feel intimidated in your own home by someone that thinks they can take advantage in this way. Stand your ground and only remove/prune the tree if it's what you want

adouglasmhor

keystone wrote: »

TPOs are applied to individual trees not an "area".

WRONG you are the second person to come out with this rubbish on this thead, well done.
http://www.eden.gov.uk/planning-and-development/trees/tree-preservation-orders-tpo/
http://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/advice/advice_leaflets/8pp_tree_preservation_order_lores.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_preservation_order

adouglasmhor

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

The likely acceptable height (under that Act) would be 2 metres.

My feeling is that, in those circumstances, I think it might be the case possibly that "two or more trees" would still constitute a hedge even if those trees had different owners.

It may be a hedgerow, but not a hedge and hedgerows are not classed as hedges under the legislation.

keystone

adouglasmhor wrote: »

WRONG you are the second person to come out with this rubbish on this thead, well done.

Aggressive little blighter aren't you?

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Lots of text removed as my interpretation of OP's original remarks has now been shown to be incorrect in the light of additional information from OP now provided after I'd written this post.
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None of which changes that I could have easily been correct (so a shouted WRONG rather inappropriate) had my interpretation been correct.

Cheers

Leif

bunberry wrote: »

Update - contacted the council who confirmed that there's a TPO in effect on this area, so looks like that neighbour might be out of luck.

Next door received a four page long letter :eek: on the same day we did, backdated last year (...eh?)

We'll be writing a note with something along the lines of "TPO in effect, trees in photo not ours, TYVM!"

Thanks to everyone for your advice :T

Are you sure a TPO covers your trees? Has the council explicitly said that? Or does it just cover those trees considered to be of value?

The neighbour is trying to bully you into following their orders. If there is no TPO, then writing to them and saying there is, will just get them contacting the council, then writing back and saying "No TPO, cut them down or else". I'd write back, explain that there is no obligation on you to remove the tree(s), and that you were upset by their rather aggressively written letter.

bunberry

Leif wrote: »

Are you sure a TPO covers your trees? Has the council explicitly said that? Or does it just cover those trees considered to be of value?

The neighbour is trying to bully you into following their orders. If there is no TPO, then writing to them and saying there is, will just get them contacting the council, then writing back and saying "No TPO, cut them down or else". I'd write back, explain that there is no obligation on you to remove the tree(s), and that you were upset by their rather aggressively written letter.

Most of the village we live in is covered by a group TPO; our house falls within this area. We've called up the council to seek confirmation and they've checked the records and our house specifically. Before we can do things to that tree, we would have to submit an application, followed by finding a tree surgeon (recommended for health & safety reasons).

Leif

Thanks for the clarification. Post #68 sounds quite reasonable then.

You could also erect placards, with "Loser" in big letters, and arrows pointing to the unpleasant neighbour's house. On second thoughts, best not.

adouglasmhor

keystone wrote: »

Aggressive little blighter aren't you?

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Lots of text removed as my interpretation of OP's original remarks has now been shown to be incorrect in the light of additional information from OP now provided after I'd written this post.
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None of which changes that I could have easily been correct (so a shouted WRONG rather inappropriate) had my interpretation been correct.

Cheers

You're Welcome.

keystone

adouglasmhor wrote: »

You're Welcome.

My pleasure.

Cheers