Cooper Beech & Leylandii
 

Hi

I have a neighbour who has a 25ft Copper Beech hanging over in my garden which is not tended at all, plus 4 x 35ft Leylandii which are equally unloved.

He is an awkward man so I really need to know the best and legal way of asking him
a) prune and look after his copper beech
and
b) remove leylandii or can they be cut down to a 12 ft size?

These trees are now overshadowing my home (a bungalow) and blocking light and sunlight

Many thanks
MB

Cooper Beech & Leylandii
 

On 7 Feb 2017 17:41, Master Baggins wrote:

Hi

I have a neighbour who has a 25ft Copper Beech hanging over in my garden
which is not tended at all, plus 4 x 35ft Leylandii which are equally
unloved.

He is an awkward man so I really need to know the best and legal way of
asking him
a) prune and look after his copper beech
and
b) remove leylandii or can they be cut down to a 12 ft size?

These trees are now overshadowing my home (a bungalow) and blocking
light and sunlight

Many thanks
MB


If the Laylandii are in a line, a hedge, then they should not be taller
than 2 metres and you can pay your local Council, I think it's £400,
to inspect and if they find in your favour they will demand he reduce
the height to the legal maximum. The £400 is not refundable though.

If the Copper Beech is overhanging your garden/home then you are
entitled to prune it back to the boundary. However the prunings are
his so you have to offer them to him, or you could just throw them
back over the fence if you want a war. Otherwise there is nothing you
can do.

The best and easiest way would be to talk to your neighbour and come to
an agreement, perhaps offer to cover some of the costs involved.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Cooper Beech & Leylandii
 

On 07/02/2017 16:41, Master Baggins wrote:
Hi

I have a neighbour who has a 25ft Copper Beech hanging over in my garden
which is not tended at all, plus 4 x 35ft Leylandii which are equally
unloved.

He is an awkward man so I really need to know the best and legal way of
asking him
a) prune and look after his copper beech
and
b) remove leylandii or can they be cut down to a 12 ft size?

These trees are now overshadowing my home (a bungalow) and blocking
light and sunlight

Many thanks
MB




You can cut off anything that intrudes over your boundary (you have to
give back the branches!) but your neighbour is under no obligation to do
anything no matter how big the tree, if its a hedge then the council can
intervene (at your expense)

Best make peace with the neighbour and offer to pay to have the work
carried out

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Thank you both for your advice
The Leylandii are not a hedge but just 4 trees in his garden on the border.
Does that make a difference?
Cheers
MB

Cooper Beech & Leylandii
 

On 08/02/17 12:34, Master Baggins wrote:
Thank you both for your advice
The Leylandii are not a hedge but just 4 trees in his garden on the
border.
Does that make a difference?
Cheers
MB

This is from the RHS page on high hedges
(https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=408)

What are high hedges?

The term ‘high hedges’ was subjective until it was defined by the
Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003: Part 8 in 2005. This is a summary of
what constitutes a high hedge under the law:

- The hedge is more than 2m (approx 6½ft) tall (there is extra
guidance for hedge heights on slopes)
- A hedge is defined as a line of two or more trees or shrubs
- The hedge is formed wholly or predominantly of evergreens (these
don’t lose their leaves in winter) or semi-evergreen ones (that stay
green most of the year)
- Bamboo and ivy are not included
- Where a hedge is predominantly evergreen, the deciduous trees and
shrubs within the hedge may be included in the work specified. However,
a council can exclude specific trees or require different work

I hope that clarifies things.

--

Jeff

Cooper Beech & Leylandii
 

On Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:56:54 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote:

On 08/02/17 12:34, Master Baggins wrote:
Thank you both for your advice The Leylandii are not a hedge but just 4
trees in his garden on the border.
Does that make a difference?
Cheers MB

This is from the RHS page on high hedges
(https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=408)

What are high hedges?

The term ‘high hedges’ was subjective until it was defined by the
Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003: Part 8 in 2005. This is a summary of
what constitutes a high hedge under the law:

- The hedge is more than 2m (approx 6½ft) tall (there is extra
guidance for hedge heights on slopes)
- A hedge is defined as a line of two or more trees or shrubs -
The hedge is formed wholly or predominantly of evergreens (these don’t
lose their leaves in winter) or semi-evergreen ones (that stay green
most of the year)
- Bamboo and ivy are not included
- Where a hedge is predominantly evergreen, the deciduous trees and
shrubs within the hedge may be included in the work specified. However,
a council can exclude specific trees or require different work

I hope that clarifies things.

It doesn't seem to define any maximum spacing.

If, say, I had a 150 ft garden with three evergreen trees at 50 foot
spacings they would seem to fit this definition.

Cheers


Dave R



--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

---
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Cooper Beech & Leylandii
 

David wrote:

On Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:56:54 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote:

- A hedge is defined as a line of two or more trees or shrubs -

It doesn't seem to define any maximum spacing.

If, say, I had a 150 ft garden with three evergreen trees at 50 foot
spacings they would seem to fit this definition.

I'm guessing that, in the absence of anything to the contrary,
the natural understanding that "hedge" describes contiguous
growth, would prevail.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

Cooper Beech & Leylandii
 

It's interesting to note that the council charge £400 for their service. I had a couple of tree surgeons in last Autumn to do some heavy pruning of Ash, sycamore and spruce - they charged £400 for the whole day's work. If Master Baggins could agree with his neighbour, a tree surgeon company could sort out the Leylandii and beech in one day and being qualified I do't see a reason for the neighbour to raise objections.

Cheers,
Compo-in-Caithness