To think you should have planning permission to plant large trees?

[FreakStar]

Where we live too need to have permission from the council to so much as cut a twig from your own trees (or anyone elses) if they are over 2m tall. however, you can plant as many and as large a tree in your garden as you like an there's nothing can be done about it.

The neighbour next door, who has fallen out with us over another unrelated matter, has planted trees all along the boundary of our gardens. The gardens are long and thin and north facing, therefore, because she is to our left they shade our garden from the late afternoon and evening sun- which is the only time of day it really used to get the sun. In particular she planted a cherry tree directly opposite our previously sunny seating area, which in the four years since she planted it, it has grown to about 30 foot tall already- it was quite a mature specimen when she bought it but it's growing like a weed! There's nothing we can do because they are deciduous so don't class as a hedge as there are some gaps. She won't speak to us about the trees.

It shouldn't be allowed in my opinion without planning.

Actually I think you have a point.
Perhaps you could lobby yoir MP for legislation defining acceptable tree height, aspect and distance from boundary. Needs some thought.

If it is me who is your neighbour (very similar description, I am in London), the cherry tree and I are very sorry. Come and talk to me about it.

I’ve just spent the afternoon weeding my own garden, being pricked by Climbing rose bushes and chopping down ivy. None of which is planted in my own garden and instead grown over, under and thru the fence from next door. People don’t give a toss what impact their planting has on others.

I think some councils do have a restriction on the height of trees allowed in certain areas. They can potentially wreak havoc underground with roots growing through piping or causing subsidence.

@firstmentat Thanks- not in London though so you're off the hook.

My neighbour has two giant sycamores that are taller than the houses. It is one of the main reasons we are moving as I am sick of it, so I do get what you mean. We get no sun at all as we are also north facing

I do understand your perspective. We have a house behind our drive (our property is quite far from the road and backs onto several other houses) and they have an enormous tree which hangs over. It’s really beautiful and lovely to hear the birds enjoying it etc, but it’s so high that it blocks light from that side of the house.

Part of the issue is it isn’t maintained so a lot of the branches have grown wild and out of control. Also every autumn is a nightmare because the amount of leaves we get dropping on our drive is a pain, and every time there’s a storm or bad weather huge branches fall off and we have to dispose of them. We do clip them back but it’s harder with the larger ones, and they soon grow back over anyway.

I really enjoy looking at large trees and appreciate their importance for wildlife but it’s difficult when their sheer size becomes a problem.