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Property/DIY

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Neighbour’s request to trim a shrub on the boundary

52 replies

PinkCamelias · 20/06/2026 22:48

We got a letter today from a neighbour whose garden borders ours at the back. He has requested that we significantly reduce our “seriously oversized”laurel shrub, because it overshadows his pear tree. He wishes we trimmed it to the height of the pear tree. He sent a letter last year too with the same request, and also to remove the ivy from the wall. We moved in a year and a half ago and we have never met him. He never rings the doorbell, just puts the letters through the door. We removed the ivy, because incidentally it had been planned anyway before his letter and the gardener did it the following week. However, I have no intention to reduce the shrub, I actually let it grow, but make sure the branches don’t overhang into his garden. It gives us shade and privacy, especially from somebody’s extension’s window further back. The shrub is maybe 3, 5 m tall (the boundary wall is 2 m tall). The thing is that all the houses around, including mine and his, are very tall and obviously they cast shade so I don’t understand why he thinks it’s the shrub! His garden is also long, we share maybe one third of his wall. The shrub is planted at the end of our west facing wall, so east facing for him.

Does he have a point, or am I right?

OP posts:
MeetMeOnTheCorner · 24/06/2026 13:23

@PinkCamelias Hope so but you don’t know anything about foundations - obviously!

geumsun · 24/06/2026 13:38

Keen gardner and lover of trees here. My view is if it's a plant on or close to the boundary, you take on board and consider your neighbour's request. We've another thread running at the moment on ivy, and the general consensus (not mine) is to poison the neighbour's ivy if they don't get rid of it. Just so you know how minds may work if you don't compromise.

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