Managing conifers, neighbour issue

[KellynchHall]

Our house is on a hill and we're higher up than our neighbours. There are conifers planted at the edge of our drive next to their house. They're around 10 feet tall and give us privacy. They want us to cut them down significantly. But in doing so not only do we have the cost of the work but we then end up with a view of their house. Am I being unreasonable in saying no. They are managed and we will not allow them to get much bigger than they are now. I've attached a drawing to show what I mean.

I think conifer hedges are required to be kept to about 2m high? 10 foot is really quite tall and would loom over them if they are even lower, so I can see why they would have a problem with that.

Realistically you don't need them to be 10 feet tall to give you privacy, particularly if you are higher than them.

I honestly can’t see why you’d be obliged to do anything. They’re not invasive and they’re not taller than their house. They probably knew about these when they moved in and they bought a house knowing it faced in that direction. They can GTF.

I agree. To be neighbourly you should cut them just high enough that you can’t see their upstairs windows.

I like the neighbours behind us having their conifer hedge around the same height as it gives us total privacy from the back. But they don't stop any light or sun. I'd feel differently if they did. Have they told you why they want you to cut them?

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable but do you know why they’d like you to cut them back? We had two large conifers (taller than our house) in our garden, inherited from the previous owner. They caused a lack of light, killed our grass, the roots went beyond our border and lifted slabs in the pathway behind our house, we were also very concerned if they fell (in a storm for example) that they’d do serious damage being so tall and so close to other houses… for us they were generally a nuisance, so we got them removed. Could your neighbour also have similar concerns?

Your neighbour can get the council involved under anti social laws, over 2m in height, cutting out light, Evergreen, valid reasons for them to act (as long as not a single tree)

If they went down this root, either one of you would have to tell any prospective buyer of your dispute, you sold (i think)

Are they managed by you at their side though? Or do you leave that to them? We lived next door to leylandii and they were horrendous, they don’t just grow tall they grow bushy and block all light and render everything close by green and mossy.

to me, managing them would be topping and cutting them back at their side too, that’s the neighbourly thing to do. Our neighbours made my life a misery for ages, eventually they came round and saw our side and accepted the potential cost to them if damage to our property resulted and removed them. In return we put up six foot fences.

Can you attach a photo (lovely drawing, but not the same). If they are as per your drawing, I'd be concerned about the root stability.

Are you quite sure you need them quite as tall as they are?

if you're prepared to reduce the height any I'd get a couple of quote from proper tree surgeons (not cowboys) & tell the neighbours you'll consider getting them done, but only by these companies & they'll need to pay as you are happy how they are.

your situation isn't clear cut on my council web site as to whether they consider them 'trees in your garden, or a hedge and with the height difference, but let your neighbours have it out with your council if you don't want to get them shortened.

If you manage them so they don’t overgrown then they’re fine. The neighbours should be offering to pay for it if they want you to remove trees that you like.

So they bought the house in 2015 and we bought ours last year. The trees used to be much taller but were cut back last year by the previous owner in preparation for sale. Cutting them back so I can see the tops of their windows would basically be cutting them down. They're in a bungalow and their house is built next to a retaining wall which is a shared boundary. I can appreciate that from their perspective the trees seem much larger.

We have already had trees cut back on the west side of their property which the previous owner had allowed to grow ridiculously large. They didn't ask him I think because they were a bit nervous of him. Both of them have asked us about pruning a large sycamore which isn't actually our tree.

As your property is higher than theirs, aren't the conifers 12-15 foot high in relation tò their ground-level? An acceptable 'privacy height' on your side of the hedge could be overwhelming on their side.

If they are in a bungalow and lower than you, why do you need them so tall for privacy? Surely you could get privacy with no more than 2m?

Hmm so seems I might need to cut them a bit. I'm just annoyed as it's yet more expense and they never asked the previous owner. I agree from their side yes it's higher but it always would be. They're boundary is a retaining wall that's probably 5 foot tall and the top of that wall is level with my drive. They bought the house with the trees much higher than they are now.

As it stands, you’re vulnerable to them bringing in the Council under the High Hedges Act. The Council will hear your side of the case, but your side would be more convincing were you to couch your privacy concerns in terms of their overlooking your house rather than “I will have a view of their house”. Most of us who live in towns have a view of other people’s houses. That’s not a loss of privacy.

We are at right angles to a leylandii hedge and we are lower down than the 2 properties that have it as boundary. It blocks out a fair amount of light to our house and those properties. I really wish they’d take it out and put something sensible in….

Surely the high hedges act does not cover this because of where they are planted. They are planted on the higher ground and so that is where they are measured from, not from the neighbour's lower ground level. This is what happens when you buy a house on a lower level or on sloped land. Been there, done that and never again. We had 6ft fence in our garden which was only 4ft for the neighbour's on a higher elevation. Awful. Especially because they were nosey bastards with friends and relatives who would deliberately stand at that side of the garden and stare down into ours. No privacy at all.

So they have 15 feet of boundary height? Yes, I think they probably do need lowering. Sorry.

Just ask them to contribute to the cost of the cutting. If it bothers them that much they will happily pay towards?

I don’t think that you can measure the height of a tree from their side of the fence if it is not growing there. The height is from the base of the tree to it’s top. Just because you have moved in, doesn’t mean you have to look into their garden.

You need to do it as you’re vulnerable to a huge fine and management order. They can have the council bring them down to. 6,5 feet. The council will order it, and if you don’t comply they will enter your property and do it and bill you for the work and fine you one thousand pounds, you will then be forced to maintain at thus level and then fined one thousand pounds if it goes above and you don’t maintian

It’s the high hedges act, its part of the anti social behaviour laws, if was you I’d cut them down pronto.because you are going to be fucked if you don’t. The law doesn’t permit thsi form of anti social behaviour to your neighbours.

It’s ten foot odd her side, 15 the neighbours, so yes legally they need to come down, she can’t interfer with them in this manner without their consent.

What species of conifer are they? I'd be concerned about the potential damage they could be doing to the retaining wall. Issues with that could cost a fortune to put right.

Anyway, I agree with others, they probably do need to be further reduced in height to around 2m.

Our old neighbour asked us to cut some conifers down. We asked if they would contribute to the cost because we didn't really want to do it. They never asked again and we kept our trees.

Even measured from the higher ground the OP says they are around 10ft which is well over 2m.

The government guidance on the Act says where the hedge is on a retaining wall it’s measured from the normal ground level. Whatever that means