Neighbour's non-conforming window just been replaced - by the same.

DevilDamo

The existing ‘first floor’ window in question serves a Kitchen!?!

sgun

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Thanks sgun, but my friend would be doing any pruning as it's his tree, and not the neighb's. I'll pass on your comments.

(What happens if you just 'top' a tree?)

Depends on the tree and on the time of year you do it. If you just cut all the branches to the same height you can trigger rapid, thin growth that ends up looking like a tangled mess, it's bad for the tree as it weakens it. Its better to thin out and only reduce main branches by a third at the most each year. And the most it should be pruned in any year is a third - trees tend to get stressed if you do more than that in a year. It really does depend on what type of tree it is. If it is a hawthorn or an ash it doesn't matter too much and you can cut elders and hazels right back without stressing them.

Jeepers_Creepers

The tree my friend planted is a few metres in from the boundary, and no branches reaching anywhere near.

Jeepers_Creepers

DevilDamo said:

The existing ‘first floor’ window in question serves a Kitchen!?!

I believe so. I think it might be a reverse-whatsit house - living space above, bedrooms below.

Wanderingpomm

I do not believe you have a right to light, your friend could just put trellis on top of the fence and plant up it. 

Jeepers_Creepers

Wanderingpomm said:

I do not believe you have a right to light, your friend could just put trellis on top of the fence and plant up it. 

Not sure that's the case. If someone has had access to light for a given time, then I think they have an entitlement to not have this reduced dramatically, but I may be wrong.

What folk do not have a right to, is a view - and that is pretty certainly the true issue here with the neighb.

Not sure you could just fit trellis either as this would be a garden construction far higher than that permitted.