Neighbours tree roots

[RonSwan]

Neighbours have 5 silver birch trees planted along our garden boundary with a fence separating our gardens. Trees are right up against the fence. We live on a hill and they are uphill we are downhill so that the back of our garden (which borders them) slopes upwards. The tree roots stretch quite far into our garden and pop through the grass in areas.

I’d like to level our garden so we can actually use it! Put a wall up between the gardens and scoop out all the excess earth so it is flat and we can put in a shed and a swing for our DC.

So…clearly if we do that, it will mean scooping out the roots of neighbours trees and probably making them unstable…I don’t know much about trees but suspect that would be fatal.

We will of course speak to them before we do anything…we are on very good terms and wouldn’t want to annoy them but before I raise it, I’m keen to know if it can be done and who has rights…them as owners of established trees or us as owners up to the boundary who have an unusable garden! It’s about 1 meter from the bottom of the current fence to the level we want to drop it to (is quite a steep hill!)

Any thoughts?

There was a recent post about someone worried about their tree on the boundary because a neighbour was doing their driveway & the tree roots were being dug up.
I will see if I can find it.

You could build up your garden rather than dig it out. So keep the level the same at the back but have steps up from the patio (or whatever) at the back of the house, onto your newly flat lawn.

@MorrisOxford we did think about that but it would need a shit ton of earth to fill in the space to bring it level and then would have us positively towering over the neighbours on either side of us who are on the bottom slope of the hill too!

How big is your garden?

If big enough you could terrace it. Allow about 1m from back end at same level as silver birch garden. You can plant it with woodland plants etc. Have a few steps up to it and a slide for dc down from it.

Then have an intermediate level 50cm down from that where you put shed/swing.

And another 50cm down to the house level for a terrace/seating area.

Will look nicer, make it less likely the trees fall on your head, reduce the amount of soil that needs moving and still make it usable.

@CatherinedeBourgh

How big is your garden?

If big enough you could terrace it. Allow about 1m from back end at same level as silver birch garden. You can plant it with woodland plants etc. Have a few steps up to it and a slide for dc down from it.

Then have an intermediate level 50cm down from that where you put shed/swing.

And another 50cm down to the house level for a terrace/seating area.

Will look nicer, make it less likely the trees fall on your head, reduce the amount of soil that needs moving and still make it usable.

This is the best idea by far. Three flat levels, leave the trees alone.

@CatherinedeBourgh

How big is your garden?

If big enough you could terrace it. Allow about 1m from back end at same level as silver birch garden. You can plant it with woodland plants etc. Have a few steps up to it and a slide for dc down from it.

Then have an intermediate level 50cm down from that where you put shed/swing.

And another 50cm down to the house level for a terrace/seating area.

Will look nicer, make it less likely the trees fall on your head, reduce the amount of soil that needs moving and still make it usable.

Love it!!!! Thanks for this…that would work nicely I think

@CatherinedeBourgh

How big is your garden?

If big enough you could terrace it. Allow about 1m from back end at same level as silver birch garden. You can plant it with woodland plants etc. Have a few steps up to it and a slide for dc down from it.

Then have an intermediate level 50cm down from that where you put shed/swing.

And another 50cm down to the house level for a terrace/seating area.

Will look nicer, make it less likely the trees fall on your head, reduce the amount of soil that needs moving and still make it usable.

This is such a good plan and it will enhance the whole garden and make it much more interesting, and avoid any unpleasantness with the neighbours.