Emergency - stop neighbour’s trees being cut down

[woodpigeons]

I live in an area with a lot of mature, very big trees.
Our next door neighbour recently died. The house is for sale and I have just heard that the people who inherited it plan to have several mature trees, where birds nest every year, cut down.
The trees are not causing any problems at all. We are the only neighbours who would be affected and we love them, they are beautiful, and love seeing the birds come back every year to build their nests.
They already sent some sort of cowboy gardener to cut back the dividing front hedge where birds are nesting. DH noticed when they’d almost finished and when he spoke to the ‘gardener’ about it he laughed and said he was always finding eggs but never enough to make an omelette.
I know about applying to the council for a tree preservation order if there isn’t one already. Also about the Countryside act and will contact them on Monday.
However these people who have inherited the house are not reasonable. They are most likely to send unqualified people to cut down the trees, even this weekend.
If that happens can anyone tell me if there is anything I can do please?

Well done.

gumbalina What a nice person you sound, I believe in the world needing trees more than unpleasant people that's for sure.

Ok Schaden I don't care I've killed many threads in my time!!

Congratulations wood !!!!

It's done Schade maybe I'll hear from you?

Yay lovely update!!

Good news, op

That's excellent OP good to know there are people like you around. I stopped some neighbours pruning a tree where blackbirds are nesting during their nesting season, so I understand where you're coming from.

Well Done OP

Gumbalina, you sound a delight Not.

Great update.

I believe in karma.
Well I believe in climate change. Which is real and provable. And cutting down trees does real damage.

All these people advocating cutting trees make me so sad.

Here is something good.

www.greatgreenwall.org/about-great-green-wall

Gumbelina

We are removing our trees as too big now and roots growing too close to the house.
Great to preserve but not so good when they start poking through your patio right outside your house.
When planted years ago it wouldn't have been a problem.

I also think it's futile worrying about a tree in a garden when British Rail are felling hundreds that are too near to the tracks.

True, but they all count.

I signed the petition to stop BR felling trees and I wrote to my MP and local council about it.

There are so many trees being cut in residential gardens because they take some light, they drop leaves they are seen as messy and unhygienic. It's so short sighted. We need them to help theorising temperatures.

They all add up and we will all suffer because of it. But someone's children will be able to play without being disturbed by leaves and insects on their shiny new plastic lawn. The stupidity of this is breathtaking.

Yes exactly Chardonnays It makes me sad that many people here (in Fr.) are stuck in the past, totally ignoring the necessity of caring for trees and the wildlife esp hedgehogs by keeping their gardens a bit untidy, leaving wild areas and verges.

It is improving a bit at least the council isn't spraying the verges any more and the birds and wild flowers are returning. No doubt the residents complain!

We have a tree which, in summer, blocks light to our sitting room and is far too close to the house. However, there are doves which bill and coo at each other in its branches.

They’ve probably got a good reason to remove the tree. Tree surgeons are so expensive. It’s not something you do for the sake of it. We’ve just moved into a house with lots of beautiful old trees the are subject to TPOs. The old vendor was really neglectful if keeping them thinned out and old branches cut... the tree surgeon just gave me a quote of £3,600 😳 We also plan to remove 3 big trees that aren’t covered by TPOs (because they shade the house) and that’s another £1,200!

Thankfully those won’t be on the planning application, so our new nosy neighbour won’t be able to protest!

I understand Jux You also get the shade in the hot weather. We HAD to remove a leylandii from being too close to the house, it could have knocked the roof off in the next storm! I've left the trunk for the wildlife and honeysuckle, clematis and ivy. I have grown an elder now, not too close but it gives shade on the terrace which we really need . Also we probably have 5 hundred trees or more, in our garden ,I've made a living hedge.

I read today that in 30 years London will be as hot as Barcelona is now.

It’s really shortsighted to cut down trees because they throw shade, we will need it badly when the hot summers keep coming. Trees need a long time to grow.

It’s selfish and ill advised to cut them because they throw shade now.

If anything we have to start planting more and we have to demand from our MPs big tree planting initiatives and tree protection measures.

@TruffleWuffle we're buying a house with trees under a TPO and we are not allowed to prune them at all unless diseased. It frustrates me that there is an assumption that people neglect them if they don't attend to them.

@trufflewuffle people like you make me despair. All me, me, me.
Congrats to OP for making a stand. We need to protect trees and conserve nature.

@OhNoooNotAgain - that’s what the tree surgeon said. There’s a lot of dead wood on the oldest trees that haven’t been “looked after” and 2 trees under TPO that need to come down as they’re diseased. And there’s a massive twin stem oak where the brace to stop it collapsing onto my house and next door is old and needs to be replaced, so yes, I can safely say that the old vendor was neglectful towards his trees.

@SunnyInGrimsby - yup, I’m all me me me spending nearly £5k on my trees. I’m removing 3 voluntarily (they aren’t TPO’d), so there will still be 30 or so trees that will remain and be well cared for 🙄

Truffle you are spending the money because you are getting something out of it, more sun it, you are not doing it for charity.