Reporting a neighbour AIBU?

[Rhayader]

Our neighbours have recently had their garden landscaped. They have chopped down 5 mature native trees and replaced them with palm trees.

We live in a conservation area and these trees were protected. I want to report them to the conservation area but DH says I’m being ridiculous. AIBU?

Don’t want to drip feed: these trees are on a planning application from the same neighbour 5 years ago where they have sought permission to trim them back 20% each so there is an official record of their existence. I believe you can get a fine for chopping down trees here (London).

Well go for it then then OP.
It definitely won’t be confidential if you rent though, so be prepared for the neighbours to find who it is. The landlord will be informed, because reports will be logged on a system attached to the property you rent.

[quote Remoulade]@Suzi888

I'm pretty sure an anonymous report to the council about the trees won't count as a neighbour dispute.
I'm sure other people can see the trees too, not just the OP.[/quote]
Agreed.

I found my vendors had made complaints about neighbours when I made the same complaints but as they were anonymous the were regarded as disputes.

Absolutely do it. In our borough a business took over premises and chopped down 10 trees in their land. They got a huge fine and had to do some conservation projects. Not even a conservation area!

I would report! It's infuriating. If people hate trees so much, don't buy a property with protected tree?

If you can't stand church bells, don't move next to a church?

Why should we let people get away with everything? It's not right, and it's everybody else who suffers.

Neighbour won’t get in to trouble anyway, unless they chopped them down themselves, the contractors who felled the trees will. Should’ve checked with the council before they started the work.

they weren't

I’d report it.

With antiwork on this one.

Just found this online:

“ 9.14 If a tree in a conservation area is removed, uprooted or destroyed in contravention of section 211 the landowner is placed under a duty to plant another tree of an appropriate size and species at the same place as soon as he or she reasonably can.116 The same duty applies if a tree is removed because it is dead, dying or dangerous or because it is causing a nuisance.117 The duty attaches to subsequent owners of the land, although the LPA have powers to dispense with the duty.118 The LPA may enforce the duty by serving a tree replacement notice under section 207 of the Act (see Chapter 11 of this Guide).”

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14956/tposguide.pdf#page56

They cut down trees in a conservation area during nesting season, what @@@@@s

Report them, that's willful destruction. They will be made to replace them under a "tree replacement order" (and palm trees will not cut it) plus a well deserved fine.

@DrinkFeckArseGirls

Absolutely do it. In our borough a business took over premises and chopped down 10 trees in their land. They got a huge fine and had to do some conservation projects. Not even a conservation area!

I live in a borough that basically has a borough wide tree preservation area so virtually every tree in it is covered by a TPO.

However only some of the borough is a conservative area.

Depending where the tree is and the type of tree, as long as you ask permission first you can remove it without putting in a replacement. If you don't then you get fined.

You also have to be careful when planting bushes as some look like trees, and you can get fined for heavily cutting them back without permission.

Love mumsnet for threads like this. Benefit fraud, don't report and mind your own business but chop a tree down and you have to dial 999 straight away!

absolutely report them. It makes me so angry that someone could do this

@Suzi888

Well go for it then then OP. It definitely won’t be confidential if you rent though, so be prepared for the neighbours to find who it is. The landlord will be informed, because reports will be logged on a system attached to the property you rent.

I made a complaint when I rented back in the day. The landlord hadn't a clue.

And they will get in trouble, as they are the land owners. The tree people might however get in trouble as well as the land owners.

I don't know why you're saying these things when they're not true, nor do I know why you're doing your best to dissuade the OP from reporting. Trees are important and this shit needs to be reported every time it happens.

@Suzi888

Well I hope you never intend to sell your house, as you’ll need to declare a dispute with your neighbour. What do you hope to achieve exactly? They can’t magic them back. What they did was wrong, but I think you’ll get yourself into a lot of bother.

This is Mumsnet. We are the queens of consequences!

Greek Proverb: A society grows great, when old men plant trees, whose shade they know, they shall never sit in

I wouldn’t report them; I couldn’t give a shit. They’re only trees.

[quote Rhayader]@Suzi888

We rent anyway[/quote]
In that case definitely report to your local council.

@Remoulade I don’t care either way lol
I work for a local authority, not in planning admittedly but just posting the facts.
If I wanted to report something, I’d report it, but I’d be prepared for the neighbour and home owner to know it was me- that’s all.
OP should absolutely report it, if OP wants to and if they’re that passionate who cares if the neighbours find out.

I would report them

jelly you are a charmer aren't you ? just because you don't give a shit doesn't mean no one else doesn't. Some of us care about our environment around us.

@JellyTumble

I wouldn’t report them; I couldn’t give a shit. They’re only trees.

There is no such thing as 'only a tree' @JellyTumble.

Trees are good for the environment ,they suck up Co2,they improve mental wellbeing and support the eco system. They also offer privacy to neighbours and shade in the summer.

If everyone went around just lopping trees in a conservation area or anywhere, what would the country look like?

Honestly, I can understand these laissez faire attitudes.People need to be called to account on destructive behaviour that impacts on everyone around them.

Also, OP, no decent tree surgeon will touch a tree in a conservation area or with a TPO on it, without seeing authorisation from the council.

@JellyTumble

I wouldn’t report them; I couldn’t give a shit. They’re only trees.

I'd take a nice tree over certain people any day.

all the more reasons to report the neighbours. If they employed a shoddy company, they need to get fined accordingly and receive a suitable incentive to stop them chopping random trees as they go along with their "landscaping".