to refuse to cut down my tree?

[Ellybellyboo]

I have a lovely old tree in my garden that my neighbour is insisting I cut down. We've told him no, but he keeps on and on about his right to light.

The tree doesn't overhang their garden at all. This neighbour is behind me. The tree is along the side of my garden and affects no one (we have a field beside us). He's claiming that it casts a shadow and leaves the end of his garden (where he's built a decked seating area) in the shade in the evenings

The tree in question has a TPO and we have to faff getting permission to have it pruned let alone cutting it down

I live in a little housing estate which backs onto a much larger one. Our estate used to be wasteland but did give views of open fields down to the sea. The neighbour in question applied for loads of TPOs in an attempt to stop our houses being built and spoiling his view so I kind of think tough luck

He's always been a bit difficult and constantly complains about anything and everything so I'm not feeling like I want to go out of my way

Is it affecting the light in his garden though? If it does then YABU.

I think we need a diagram.

I wouldn't think he's lying though. Can you prune it loads?

The tree casts a shadow across the end of his garden in the evenings.

It's nowhere near his house, doesn't block light or anything.

I imagine if it's got a TPO you wouldn't be allowed to cut it down even if you wanted to.

I think you have an easy excuse there!

If anything happened to the tree (like your neighbour "accidentally" damaging it) I think that the TPO would oblige you to replace it.

Our Tree Protection Officer at our local council was super helpful so maybe give them a call tomorrow and get all of that in writing to show your neighbour?

If it has a tpo there would have to be something intrinsically dangerous about it in order to get permission to get it cut down. Just speak to your local tree officer. They will be able to forbid you to cut it down anyway. Job done. Your neighbour can't expect you to break the law.

Xpost zampa

No right to light, I believe, unless their is an ancient lights order.
Why did he build a decked area in the shade?
Tell him no - decking is rather common and trees are for the greater good.

The neighbour in question applied for loads of TPOs in an attempt to stop our houses being built and spoiling his view

Next time he asked tell him 'I couldn't cut it down if I wanted to. Some dickhead put TPOs on all the trees so that they didn't get cut down for a housing estate as they didn't want their views spoiled so I am afraid you are going to have to just get over it'.

If it has a TPO then he has no chance. He should have built his decking closer to his house. If it has a TPO then it will likely have been there a lot longer than his fucking decking.

Why are people so patient with arseholes? Just tell him bluntly to fuck off.

If they damage your tree it would be a criminal offence, damage to other peoples property.

And when he says 'that dickhead was me' say 'i rest my case'.

There is no right to light. Tell him to sod off

Gardens look so much better with trees. And they add privacy. Of this tree is so old the your neighbour bought his place with tree in situ. Did he think he'd just get neighbors to adjust their properties for his benefit?

Next time he asked tell him 'I couldn't cut it down if I wanted to. Some dickhead put TPOs on all the trees so that they didn't get cut down for a housing estate as they didn't want their views spoiled so I am afraid you are going to have to just get over it'.

This^^

Can you ask the Tree Protection department of the council to write to your neighbour and explain that there is a TPO and the tree cannot be cut down. Might be worth sending an email so that there is a record in case he damages the tree.

I've reminded him several times about the TPO but he 'knows someone' apparently and says it's easy to get them removed.

He applied for it, so as far as I'm concerned it's just too bad.

He has a huge garden, he could have built his decking nearer the house

Our neighbours trees at the back put our garden in shade very early in the evening.
It would be lovely to not have them but they have TPO's as well and not going anywhere. He can't make you chop it down.
I was more annoyed when I asked our neighbour to the side to cut down a very overgrown Holly tree. The leaves covered our garden and I spent hours picking them up but always missed some that would then end up in the kids feet. After DD2 got an infected foot after stepping on one I asked again and was told my kids should just wear shoes.
I got a tree surgeon to chop it straight up in line with the fence. It looks really stupid as flat on one side but a lot less leaves now.

Yanbu. He most definitely is..

Spell T-P-O to your neighbour. Then ask him what part of TPO he does he not understand.

From reading threads on here I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a right to light.

Friends had a next door neighbour build an extension that shadowed their garden but couldn't do anything about it.

Tell him to bog off. The tree was there before he was born and will still be there when he's shuffled off.

Our neighbour would love for us to cut down the huge tree in our garden. My usual response is "We love that tree, it's one of the reasons we bought the house. We will never ever chop it down." Which has the dual benefit of being true and making them realise there's no point in arguing

We have a similar set up.
Neighbour contacted council before our house was built requesting TPO on several trees on the site.
Now he wants us to cut back these protected trees
Muppet

Booellesmum You spent hours picking up fallen holly leaves? But it is an evergreen , surely they don't lose their leaves, only the occasional one if it dries out or something? I don't doubt holly can be difficult to live with if you are constantly brushing against it, but I can't understand hours of leaf clearing from an evergreen??

OP- Yanbu, it sounds like your tree is doing no harm to anyone, just ignore your neighbour.

He's rather been hoist by his own petard hasn't he