Large tree reduction / removal advice

[ThatZippyBee]

Hello, I've several large trees along our back garden boundary, I think that one or two need reducing or removing. Next door is fine with whatever happens and sort of leaving it to me to sort out. I've contacted a few tree surgeons and hope to get some visits and quotes shortly. With that in mind, a few things I'm wondering about and would appreciate some advice on.

1. Best time of year for this in case of nesting birds?
2. Trees are 12ish meters high and 6ish meters away from houses, what should I check regarding tree surgeon insurance or my insurance or neighbours insurance?
3. Anything else I should check?

This seems like a big job and I feel quite out of my depth!
Many thanks!

Nesting season is March-August, so you will be all right by next week.

Have you checked whether any of the trees have a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on them, or if there are any covenants on the land which restrict what can and cannot be done? Do you live in a conservation area?

What types of tree are they?

What will happen to the felled wood? Some tree surgeons cut it into 9" rounds for the home owner to split into logs and use in a log burner.

They may offer to take it away for free if it is a wood they can sell, or they may charge you to take it away if it is something like sallow.

Will they need a cherry picker or a shredder?

You also need to check on the types of tree from a 'will the tree die after I've tried to reduce it' POV. For instance, mature beech hate being reduced hard and hence either removal or leave is best.

If you’re in a conservation area you’ll need to apply for permission to do tree works with your local tree officer.

We had a large Scots pine removed from the centre of the garden in the autumn. The tree surgeon removed the branches, then brought down the trunk in segments on ropes. There was a splitter and chipper at the front of the house, and the team progressively removed the pieces to be processed. We kept the base of the trunk as a seat.

No regrets at all for having it done, and the garden is so much lighter and more productive. You've been recommended to check there is no TPO, and with that taken onboard, the process was easy. Our tree surgeon was recommended by a neighbour, as they had pollarded his holly tree.

A reputable professional tree surgeon will have insurance.

What species of tree are they, and what sort of soil do you have in your area? Clay soil in particular is prone to heave (the opposite of subsidence) when large trees are removed.

Re nesting - lovely, thanks.
TPO - no idea, do you think it's the council I ask about that?
Not conservation area.

Yes, speak to the tree officer at the local council. With some councils you might be able to check online, I'm not sure.

Thank you all!
I'll find out how to check TPO, I'm not in a conservation area.
Not idea what type of trees, sort of conifer ish I might guess. I've attached the best image I can get ( not to be confused with Hazel looking tree behind ) along with an image of stump left from a number of years ago when they had others cut down.
So many big trees, quite lovely but think will be a bigger problem if I don't try to sort out soon!
Although hoping to keep some bits for garden creatures and bird perches ect, I'll make sure to ask about removal costs also. And check they have insurance!
Of course this is all cost dependent and no idea what to do if unaffordable.

Probably not very helpful images but maybe sort of shows tree type.

Right it's not on council TPO so guess OK on that.
Don't suppose anyone knows about squirrel happiness? Do they need the trees at particular times of the year? Regular UK squirrels.

Betel is a charity that undertakes tree and garden work. We used them to remove a very large tree from our very sloping garden (so not straightforward) and they were very professional and very reasonably priced.
https://www.betelgardens.co.uk/

You may need to evidence that to whoever you get to do the work. Where I live is bristling with TPOs and the tree surgeons, etc are extremely hot on making sure it is OK to cut down the tree because they can get fined many thousands of pounds. Protected trees were on my land registry documents so I showed them those.

When I had several trees cut down, they arranged the work for Septemberish to avoid nesting period. When they did, they told me they thought there was old squirrels' nest in one of the trees. I was surprised as I'd never seen a squirrel in my garden despite being there over a decade - there's a massive wooded area nearby and I assumed they just preferred it there.

About a week after the trees came down, I went out and found a squirrel on the fence just by where that tree was. It looked very cross indeed.

Thank you all!
Re squirrel, we do have quite a few around and have made them a kind of squirrel ladder in anticipation of impending tree lose!

Actually just had a tree surgeon round and quoting£1400 + VAT. Three guys over two days. The two trees ( turns out are Leylandii ) taken down, leaving stump, another tree shortened, removal taken care of.
Does anyone have any idea if that sounds ok?
Should be getting another quote next week.

That sounds more than reasonable, and if you replace the leylandii with something more airy and preferably native it will do wonders for your garden and for the nature in it.

3 guys for 2 days, say 36 man hours, works out at under £40 an hour, so sounds reasonable to me, when you think they’ve got travelling time, machinery to maintain, waste disposal fees to pay, etc.

And also that it's one of the most dangerous jobs you can do!

Are you on clay soil? Leylandi have a high water demand, and removing or reducing them can cause heavy in clay soils, which can damage foundations where roots are close to a house/building.

The radius that will be affected depends on the shrinkability of the soil (related to clay content) and the roots width of the trees.

That sounds very reasonable for the amount of work.

If you can have work done while things are dormant, that can often be a good time - so they aren’t dragging branches across shrubs in flowers etc to dispose of them.

We had most of our tree work done in October and November when there were no vegetables in the raised beds nor flower borders to damage, nor nests to disrupt.

That's a very reasonable quote. There won't be a preservation order on Leylandii. Get rid of them.

That's very helpful, thank you all.
I've got another company popping round on Monday so will see what they come back with. Whichever company I go with, I'll report back once completed in case useful for anyone else Cornwall based. I hope it will be done in October.
Re soil- we don't have clay soil.
Re replacement tree, the Leylandii being removed are technically next doors trees and I'm arranging and paying for removal because easier for them. Anyway, I can't replace on their side but will think about my side. They also have several hazel trees struggling just behind the Leylandii which hopefully will be happier. I also have a mass of very overgrown holly in that area to deal with.
There is alot to do in the garden, steep learning curve, very enjoyable and occasionally gloomy over getting things wrong!