"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 3/7/06 15:47, in article
,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:


wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks to all info.

To answer Malcolm's specific comment... why the desperation... It's the
people behind me, who keep asking me to chop it, and this past weekend
they threatened me with legal action (It's less than 3metres tall)
citing that it's blocking their sunlight (I don't agree, as it's to the
North of them - if anything, it blocks my sunlight).

Don't be intimidated by them. Three metres isn't high and if it's to
their
north, as you say it's not blocking light.

Nieghbours too often 'threaten' legal action to bully others to get what
they want. Once they've done it successfully they're going to win every
time. Stand against them.

If necessary play the conservation card to give you time to get
professional
advice.


A batty neighbour of mine once tried reporting me for chopping down a row
of
horrible leylandii trees, complaining it was detrimental to the area, or
some such nonsense. The council official she spoke to nearly died
laughing!
Not only is trying to preserve the potential safety of birds a hands down
winner, 9' of leylandii is not anti-social and it will cost the OP's
neighbour a lot of money to make a trivial complaint which will be
ignored.
Three metres is quite high enough, IMO and should provide all the privacy
needed, so in his shoes, I'd keep it there and tell the neighbour that's
what is going to happen. My guess is that the neighbour is starting to
panic as he sees these trees leaping for the sky but it wasn't a good
neighbourly move to bring in the heavy brigade at this stage!
Of course, in due course, the OP may like to consider the problems he
faces
with planting things beneath his hedge and indeed, the blocking of
sunlight
already starting!

Indeed.

We have a VERY high Leylandii which is almost the only tree in the
neighbourhood which is home to nesting birds. Nobody has complained about it
and it does keep the underlying ground (only in our garden) very dry but
that's advantatgeous to our hens, who like to dig to Australia there and
have shelter when it rains. The only sunlight blocked is in our garden and
although the roots must be draining the surrounding ground of nutrients I am
growing (with reasonable sucess) runner beans and tomatoes in the ground
below. Last year I grew potatoes. I hope, gradually, to improve the quality
of the soil while keeping the tree (for the sake of the birds) but I do have
to water a lot. The hens do their bit towards fertilising it ...

Mary
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)