Remster

Does anyone know the laws regarding trees and blocking of light?

Our neighbours have 3 Conifirs which must be in the region of 30' tall. As the sun moves round during the afternoon, it is obscured by said trees thus depriving our patio area of sunshine. I know as we get further into the spring/summer months that the sun will be higher in the sky but I still think these trees will cast shadow. (we moved in - Nov. '05)

Before I approach the neighbours or get in touch with the council I thought I would tap into the SN font of knowledge.

Any ideas?

davegtt

Didnt you consider it before you moved? You'll be asking for the clouds to move next so you can get more sun.... Busybody

Seriously though 30' is a bit too tall, I did a favour for a mate once and we cut down some conifers that were about 20'. The neighbours behind thier house complained and the council said they had to be cut down.... So you do have some law on it IIRC.

Tidgy

first things is just to ask em, if they say they will then y even worry about it

OllyK

We have a same problem with next door's house, do you reckon we could get them to demolish the top floor??

See here: http://www.letsgogardening.co.uk/Inf...deninglaws.htm bottom of the page.

brumdaisy

Yep there's definitley laws on this these days. Try searching on your local council's website for general info - Im sure they can help rather than having to get legal advice...

Remster

You can't check EVERYTHING when buying a house. TBH when we 1st visited in late August the owners were dining on the patio blazed in sunshine. This was about 4pm so maybe the sun does sit high enough in the sky to clear the trees.

Ollyk, Thanks for the link which explains the law or lack of.

Your right to lightMost people like to make the most of a bright day, whether it's lounging around in the sun or getting on with the garden, but this can be spoilt if neighbours have allowed their trees or a fence to block out your light.If the light in your garden has been blocked by a neighbour's trees, you are unable to force them to do anything as there are no laws covering this.However if those trees are blocking light from a window in your house or even for a green house you can acquire the right to light with the help of your local council.If you have enjoyed a certain level of light for 20 uninterrupted years the laws states that it is reasonable for your to expect the same level of light and you can take action.It is also worth checking your deeds to see if they contain a covenant stating that your neighbour must not block your light.Such covenants may also prevent you from build a fence or planting trees along certain boundary.

Hanslow

I thought a change in law was introduced around June last year that state that such things as Leylandii can only be up to a certain height and have to be lopped off if above it?

Found a story on the beeb about it here.

Should give you something to start with......

OllyK

While most of this applies
Does 3 trees constitue a hedge? As this is what the legislation covers.

AudiLover

Just poison the trees. They will be non the wiser.

Remster

I think my plan of action will be as follows:

The neighbours are elderly and their large garden has obvioulsy been un-manageable the last few years. I also have a few tall trees at the bottom of my garden that I was planning to get lopped. I think I will offer to pay to have their (sunshine robbing) trees lopped for them at the same time.

What a bloody nice bloke I am!!!

davegtt

Pay? You lazy bassa, get your ar$e up there yourself

Spoon

Do we have a proof reader in the house?

As for the trees, just go and ask them first. If the response isn't favourable then see what else you can do. I'm fairly sure the law will allow you to have the trees cut, but I'm also fairly sure the legal process is a ballache.

Spoon

Careful what you say.

I've just paid £300 for 3 conifers to be chopped down.

Jonathan Davies

If you're in clay soil, three 30' trees could duck up your buildings too.

NotoriousREV

The best method is to let your conifers grow to such a great height that your neighbour gets pissed off and lops them down when your out. Worked for me

Spring Heeled Jack

http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/trees.html

RRH

I'm having the opposite problem- I'm having to go for planning permission to get a bloody conifer, in my own garden, removed.

Its 30+ foot, and I've had it lopped twice in the last ten years.

Unortunately every tree in my garden has a tree preservation order on it as we're part of the red squirrel buffer zone, apparently.

Don't get me wrong, I love trees, but when confers get that big they're a pain in the ****.

It's taken three years to get permission to drop a dead scotts pine ffs.

speye91

I know how you feel, bloddy great big one at the bottom of my garden must be about 40-50ft and blocks the last hour of sun in the evening post a pic up soon

mick

speye91

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

We have a potential issue our neighbour planted some leylandi in my Dad's house when he moved in (so they were not there beforehand) Now they are taller than the house, and I swear it's affecting the signal to the satellite dish.

Obviously I'll have to pop down and have a polite word with them, to see if they'll crop them, as their privicy isn't affected if the trees didn't exist at all. If they won't I'll offer to crop them at my own cost.

If they still refuse, well. This is where this thread may come in handy

I don't mind them being there, but having a line of 30foot connifers 3feet from the actual house is taking the ****, not mention potential issue of what damage the roots could cause. The downstairs toilet has been in permanent darkness since the day they reached over 10foot.

OllyK

If they are on your Dad's property, just cut them down, doesn't matter who put them there unless they have a preservation order on them.

Clazza

If they say no, a nice big bottle of bleach should do the job!

Alas

Diesel gets the thumbs up from my local landscape gardener if a problem like this can't be solved.

And that's poured in the roots - not set fire to.

53

iTrader: (41)

Copper nails. Slow discrete death of the tree, or drill some pilot holes and use a stump killer. If you cut the leylandi they just go mental outwards instead of upwards. Easy to recommend sabotage when its not your neighbours though.

Best bet is find out your position from the council and then compromise with the neighbours. Neighbours can be funny about such things even if you enquire quite polietly - good luck. My parents have the same problem with a 40 foot leylandi in the neighbours garden. The trunk grown so thick it has passed the boundary bending the fence, and since it was topped it has grown to overhang some 10feet into their garden. Nothing grows near it because of the roots and light deprivation. Neighbour refuses to remove completely and legal / council routed are going to put you out of pocket for surveys and such.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

BY my dads's house. Pedantic bugger

And there is a TPO on trees, but they were all chopped down before the council stupidly put a blanket order on all trees in the area - we thought we'd save them the bother of serving an order It doesn't cover Leylandii though

ZYRUSS

i know

StickyMicky

lol @ moving into a new place and making friends quickly by wanting your neighbours to chop there trees down

paulr

I had the opposite problem. My neighbour had some really high trees at the bottom of his garden which gave us privacy until he chopped them down for more light. I replanted the same trees just a few feet away on my side of the fence. Nothing he can do as far as i know.

druddle

Two options:

1. Diesel (mentioned before)
2. Brick acid.

Et voila. Problem solved.

Dave

Brit_in_Japan

For the record I think your approach is spot on. It's best to stay on good terms with one's neighbours, so softly softly is the best approach.