Removing Leylandii hedge boundary

Aylesbury_Duck

No. No permission required.

sevenhills

victoriavictorious wrote: »

Yes, those ^^ were our thoughts exactly. We have actually had an offer to do the job from a kind relative, but we will politely decline. These trees are 3 storeys high now and the area quite restricted (and fronting a fairly busy road). The potential for a DIY job going wrong is far too great.

Surely not in 2 years!!

victoriavictorious

sevenhills wrote: »

Surely not in 2 years!!

Yep! I know it's unbelievable but we've got pictures to prove it.

mrschaucer

You sound like an excellent prospective neighbour! There are lots of people on the forum who would be only too delighted to have you living next door. Good luck!

Jeajea

Always best to talk to the neighbour first. You might need stumps grinding out but it sounds like a young hedge.

victoriavictorious

Just found out that because it's a conservation area, we *will* need to make an official application to the council!
I thought it sounded a bit too good to be true that there'd be no bureaucracy involved! Ironic that no permission is required to plant such an invasive species in the first place.....

Davesnave

You probably won't need any special permission. Even in a conservation area, a line of leylandii is considered to be a hedge.

The council can't have it both ways; if a line of leylandii is subject to the High Hedges Act, while individual trees aren't, then they can't also be classed individually as 'trees' within the parameters of conservation regs.

victoriavictorious

Davesnave wrote: »

You probably won't need any special permission. Even in a conservation area, a line of leylandii is considered to be a hedge.

The council can't have it both ways; if a line of leylandii is subject to the High Hedges Act, while individual trees aren't, then they can't also be classed individually as 'trees' within the parameters of conservation regs.

Yes, that makes sense to me, but my biggest fear is the council insisting that this hedge is simply pruned down to 2 metres and maintained at that height, not removed. I phoned the council as soon as I discovered it was a conservation area (even the vendors were unsure) and they confirmed we would need to apply for permission and await a decision.
The application form they emailed me today states that we would have to prove subsidence, but there isn't any as yet (the hedge is relatively young) and that is precisely what we are trying to avoid!
Despite this species being a known problem and the hedge is zero distance from the house wall, the application form does not have a category for removal as a preventative measure.

Davesnave

victoriavictorious wrote: »

Yes, that makes sense to me, but my biggest fear is the council insisting that this hedge is simply pruned down to 2 metres and maintained at that height, not removed. I phoned the council as soon as I discovered it was a conservation area (even the vendors were unsure) and they confirmed we would need to apply for permission and await a decision.
The application form they emailed me today states that we would have to prove subsidence, but there isn't any as yet (the hedge is relatively young) and that is precisely what we are trying to avoid!
Despite this species being a known problem and the hedge is zero distance from the house wall, the application form does not have a category for removal as a preventative measure.

Forget the form for now.

I think you need to speak to the tree officer, not some conservation Johnny. You may not even need to explain that this is hedging, not an individual tree, but if you also point out that you're wishing to reinstate the hedge with more wildlife-friendly alternatives, then I don't see how he/she could refuse you. It makes perfect sense to anyone with relevant knowledge.

Leylandii aren't particularly dangerous when it comes to damaging foundations, but long term, I wouldn't want one so close.

In the final analysis, it's you that has to do the maintenance and take the risks with the roots. If it were me, I would try to do the right thing the right way first, but if push came to shove, out would come my chain saw and it would all be done and dusted in an afternoon.

Someone will be along shortly to say the max punishment is thousands of pounds and/or a month in jail, but I don't think it would come to that. You have evidence the leylandii are young, they're inappropriate, and there are much nicer plants that could enhance the scene, rather than overwhelm it.

Debbie_Savard

Lift the trees with a farm jack, no backbreaking digging needed