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Legal height for conifers?
Is there a legal height for conifers?
The owners of the garden behind ours have a wall of 4 enormous conifers which, over the past few years, have grown so tall that they are increasingly blocking the sunlight in our garden. We were wondering if there is a legal height for such trees. Any advice would be appreciated, Jo |
Legal height for conifers?
On Tue, 6 May 2008 19:50:42 +0100, Jo wrote
(in article c6Odnf4zAYUeNb3VnZ2dnUVZ8v6dnZ2d@plusnet): Is there a legal height for conifers? The owners of the garden behind ours have a wall of 4 enormous conifers which, over the past few years, have grown so tall that they are increasingly blocking the sunlight in our garden. We were wondering if there is a legal height for such trees. AFAIR it is 2 metres. There's an outfit called Hedge Line which appears to be hosted he http://freespace.virgin.net/clare.h/ They should have the information you want. However, it would be better to talk to your neighbours first in a friendly way to see if they would agree to lopping them. -- Sally in Shropshire, UK http://www.freerice.com/index.php Give free rice to hungry people by playing a simple word game |
Legal height for conifers?
Sally Thompson wrote:
On Tue, 6 May 2008 19:50:42 +0100, Jo wrote (in article c6Odnf4zAYUeNb3VnZ2dnUVZ8v6dnZ2d@plusnet): Is there a legal height for conifers? The owners of the garden behind ours have a wall of 4 enormous conifers which, over the past few years, have grown so tall that they are increasingly blocking the sunlight in our garden. We were wondering if there is a legal height for such trees. AFAIR it is 2 metres. There's an outfit called Hedge Line which appears to be hosted he http://freespace.virgin.net/clare.h/ They should have the information you want. However, it would be better to talk to your neighbours first in a friendly way to see if they would agree to lopping them. You'll know from my posts I'm about as much a beginner gardener as it's possible to be :-) But I'd always try and resolve an issue with neighbours in a friendly way. Most of the time the neighbour doesn't even realise there's an issue. |
Legal height for conifers?
"Tom" wrote in message news:fLSdnUTuFZzYUL3VnZ2dnUVZ8uqdnZ2d@plusnet... Sally Thompson wrote: On Tue, 6 May 2008 19:50:42 +0100, Jo wrote (in article c6Odnf4zAYUeNb3VnZ2dnUVZ8v6dnZ2d@plusnet): Is there a legal height for conifers? The owners of the garden behind ours have a wall of 4 enormous conifers which, over the past few years, have grown so tall that they are increasingly blocking the sunlight in our garden. We were wondering if there is a legal height for such trees. AFAIR it is 2 metres. There's an outfit called Hedge Line which appears to be hosted he http://freespace.virgin.net/clare.h/ They should have the information you want. However, it would be better to talk to your neighbours first in a friendly way to see if they would agree to lopping them. You'll know from my posts I'm about as much a beginner gardener as it's possible to be :-) But I'd always try and resolve an issue with neighbours in a friendly way. Most of the time the neighbour doesn't even realise there's an issue. Quite some time ago I knew the neighbour quite well and mentioned it to her. She realised that the conifers were growing too large and indicated that she couldn't afford to get them cut....so she moved house! |
Legal height for conifers?
"Sally Thompson" wrote after Jo asked Is there a legal height for conifers? The owners of the garden behind ours have a wall of 4 enormous conifers which, over the past few years, have grown so tall that they are increasingly blocking the sunlight in our garden. We were wondering if there is a legal height for such trees. AFAIR it is 2 metres. There's an outfit called Hedge Line which appears to be hosted he http://freespace.virgin.net/clare.h/ They should have the information you want. However, it would be better to talk to your neighbours first in a friendly way to see if they would agree to lopping them. Is it a hedge or just 4 conifers, you can get something done about the first but not the last. If it's a hedge and your neighbours refuse to have them lopped to the maximum height of 2 metres you can approach your local Council who will decide if it comes under the legislation and will then order the work to be done or even do it themselves at a cost to the owner. However you, yes you, have to pay the Council £400. to get them to look into a hedge dispute and it's none refundable so if they decide it does not come under the legislation or that you have no case you lose your money for nothing. An elderly neighbour has a serious problem with a high hedge, like 35ft and growing on the S. side of his garden, but can't afford the £400. The owner of the hedge refuses to talk about it. -- Regards Bob Hobden |
Legal height for conifers?
On Tue, 6 May 2008 19:50:42 +0100, Jo wrote:
We were wondering if there is a legal height for such trees. Any advice would be appreciated, If there isn't a legal maximum height for a confiers and TBH I'd be surprised if there was. You might want to start reading up on "ancient lights". This is very old law with roots back into the 13th C giving some rights to light. There is almost certainly a mine field of prescident and amendments that time and other legislation involved as well... Talk nicely to your neighbour is the first instance, it'll be cheaper than a lawyer. -- Cheers Dave. |
Legal height for conifers?
An elderly neighbour has a serious problem with a high hedge, like 35ft
and growing on the S. side of his garden, but can't afford the £400. The owner of the hedge refuses to talk about it. -- Regards Bob Hobden Don't be rotten. You will be elderly yourself one day. Talk to her about them ;-) Mike |
Legal height for conifers?
In article ,
says... The message from "Bob Hobden" contains these words: "Sally Thompson" wrote after Jo asked Is there a legal height for conifers? The owners of the garden behind ours have a wall of 4 enormous conifers which, over the past few years, have grown so tall that they are increasingly blocking the sunlight in our garden. We were wondering if there is a legal height for such trees. AFAIR it is 2 metres. There's an outfit called Hedge Line which appears to be hosted he http://freespace.virgin.net/clare.h/ They should have the information you want. However, it would be better to talk to your neighbours first in a friendly way to see if they would agree to lopping them. Is it a hedge or just 4 conifers, you can get something done about the first but not the last. [...] A hedge is enshrined in legislation (in England and Wales) as 'two or more trees' Bob. I've just looked it up, to see if any legislation has been introduced by the Scottish Parliament... Yes but in a line, a random planting is not a hedge otherwise half the urban trees in britain would get the chop! there are after all many gardens with two trees in them -- Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and Lapageria rosea |
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It is not an offence to have a high hedge. You are breaking the law if your neighbour gets an order and you fail to trim it to the height in that order, maximum fine £1000. Getting an order is not easy, you have to have evidence of trying to solve it amicably first. If there is an order, it may well be for a height rather more than 2m. 2m would be for an evergreen hedge close to your neighbour's south-facing window. It is all extremely complicated as this document makes clear. http://www.communities.gov.uk/docume...wguidancehedge Here's some FAQ from that site. The legislation does not require all hedges to be cut down to a height of 2 metres You do not have to get permission to grow a hedge above 2 metres When a hedge grows over 2 metres the local authority does not automatically take action, unless a justifiable complaint is made If you complain to your local authority, it does not follow automatically that they will order your neighbour to reduce the height of their hedge. They have to weigh up all the issues and consider each case on its merits The legislation does not cover single or deciduous trees The local authority cannot require the hedge to be removed The legislation does not guarantee access to uninterrupted light There is no provision to serve an Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO) in respect of high hedge complaints. |
Legal height for conifers?
"'Mike'" wrote ... An elderly neighbour has a serious problem with a high hedge, like 35ft and growing on the S. side of his garden, but can't afford the £400. The owner of the hedge refuses to talk about it. Don't be rotten. You will be elderly yourself one day. Talk to her about them ;-) The owner of the hedge is not elderly, the one that is suffering is. -- Regards Bob Hobden |
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It does rather seem to turn on whether these are 4 specimen trees or 4 large conifers [?leylandii] planted as a screen. |
Legal height for conifers?
If your neighbour is not susceptible to a polite request, and you plan
to sell up one day, I would think carefully before using legal compulsion, even if it's available to you. There is a question in the standard conveyancing enquiries about any neighbour disputes. Something like this would come within that. You wouldn't honestly be able to answer "no" to the question, and that might put some buyers off. (However, others may be put off by a towering dense pine forest on the boundary!) |
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