Tree removal in Scotland

[trigger_andy]

Hey all,

 

so I have the chance to buy the house Im renting in a month or two. Ive been renting here for 4 years and the house has a nice plot. Its about 5000sq/m.

 

As you can see in the drawing below there is the main garden and a forested section, its been left to its own devices over the last goodness knows how many decades and is a complete light blocker to the house from 12:00 to Sun Down. There is a Cement Pad at the rear of the House thats now over grown, but looks like it was a Green House at one point of its life.

 

My house is the one in the red Hatching lines. 

 

So my question is can I clear fell these tree's as its technically my garden? Or do I need to obtain a felling licence? Or is there a certain about of timber I can fell a year per Acre? I read somewhere it was 7 ton per Acre a year but cant remember where I read that? 

 

Thanks all. 

[jfc]

Hey all,
 
so I have the chance to buy the house Im renting in a month or two. Ive been renting here for 4 years and the house has a nice plot. Its about 5000sq/m.
 
As you can see in the drawing below there is the main garden and a forested section, its been left to its own devices over the last goodness knows how many decades and is a complete light blocker to the house from 12:00 to Sun Down. There is a Cement Pad at the rear of the House thats now over grown, but looks like it was a Green House at one point of its life.
 
My house is the one in the red Hatching lines. 
 
So my question is can I clear fell these tree's as its technically my garden? Or do I need to obtain a felling licence? Or is there a certain about of timber I can fell a year per Acre? I read somewhere it was 7 ton per Acre a year but cant remember where I read that? 
 
Thanks all. 

Hi Andy,

The rules have just changed so I would suggest reading the Scottish forestry website, used to be forestry commission. Just had a name change. I was with some forestry guys last week who said some loopholes had been closed. However I would think the gardens exemption still applies.

Here is a link to the new document.

https://forestry.gov.scot/support-regulations/felling-permissions

[trigger_andy]

Just now, jfc said:

Hi Andy,

The rules have just changed so I would suggest reading the Scottish forestry website, used to be forestry commission. Just had a name change. I was with some forestry guys last week who said some loopholes had been closed. However I would think the gardens exemption still applies.

Here is a link to the new document.

https://forestry.gov.scot/support-regulations/felling-permissions

Cheers, I'll have a look.  

[trigger_andy]

Seems like the first three could apply to me;'

 

1. Up to five cubic metres of timber within any set calendar quarter [1 January to 31 March; 1 April to 30 June; 1 July to 30 September; 1 October to 31 December]. This exemption does not apply in native broadleaved woodland between 0.1 and 0.5 hectares inclusive, and Caledonian Pinewood sites.

2. Any trees with a diameter at breast height (measured at 1.3 metres from the ground) of 10 centimetres or less.

3. Trees in orchards, gardens, churchyards, burial grounds, and public open spaces.

 

1, The 5 Cubes per quarter, Im not sure how on what size of plot that covers? 

 

2, Is that on top of the 5 Cubes per quarter?  

 

3, I guess the easiest thing to do is get the local forestry professional to view the property to see if the plot is classed as a garden. But going by the drawing  would anyone hazard a guess if it is classed as my garden?

 

 

[Stubby]

14 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Seems like the first three could apply to me;'

 

1. Up to five cubic metres of timber within any set calendar quarter [1 January to 31 March; 1 April to 30 June; 1 July to 30 September; 1 October to 31 December]. This exemption does not apply in native broadleaved woodland between 0.1 and 0.5 hectares inclusive, and Caledonian Pinewood sites.

2. Any trees with a diameter at breast height (measured at 1.3 metres from the ground) of 10 centimetres or less.

3. Trees in orchards, gardens, churchyards, burial grounds, and public open spaces.

 

1, The 5 Cubes per quarter, Im not sure how on what size of plot that covers? 

 

2, Is that on top of the 5 Cubes per quarter?  

 

3, I guess the easiest thing to do is get the local forestry professional to view the property to see if the plot is classed as a garden. But going by the drawing  would anyone hazard a guess if it is classed as my garden?

 

 

Down here 5cube  / quarter is the amount irrespective of plot size .

[trigger_andy]

1 minute ago, Stubby said:

Down here 5cube  / quarter is the amount irrespective of plot size .

Ah ok, I guess that explains why I cant see over what plot size.  

 

How do you calculate 5 cubes though? Main trunk? Main Trunk and Branches? The whole Tree?

[Stubby]

9 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Ah ok, I guess that explains why I cant see over what plot size.  

 

How do you calculate 5 cubes though? Main trunk? Main Trunk and Branches? The whole Tree?

Ok . DBH together with height together with number of trees . There is an on line formula . Bit like room size for wood burner . have a google bud .

[jfc]

You can ring the FC for advice, but if it is not a garden you will need a licence and a replanting programme. It can open a can of worms! Is this in Angus?

[spuddog0507]

1 hour ago, trigger_andy said:

Hey all,

 

so I have the chance to buy the house Im renting in a month or two. Ive been renting here for 4 years and the house has a nice plot. Its about 5000sq/m.

 

As you can see in the drawing below there is the main garden and a forested section, its been left to its own devices over the last goodness knows how many decades and is a complete light blocker to the house from 12:00 to Sun Down. There is a Cement Pad at the rear of the House thats now over grown, but looks like it was a Green House at one point of its life.

 

My house is the one in the red Hatching lines. 

 

So my question is can I clear fell these tree's as its technically my garden? Or do I need to obtain a felling licence? Or is there a certain about of timber I can fell a year per Acre? I read somewhere it was 7 ton per Acre a year but cant remember where I read that? 

 

Thanks all. 

hi the whole site 0.5 hectare and the wooded section looks like its just over a third of the plot so there cant be that many trees in there, how big are the trees ? windblown you can clear up no probs, there should be no problem doing it with out felling licence as its in your garden and it not big enough to warrent a licence.

[scbk]

I'm not a solicitor, but without a doubt the hatched area in the pic is a garden.

[openspaceman]

4 minutes ago, scbk said:

I'm not a solicitor, but without a doubt the hatched area in the pic is a garden.

That can be debatable, the term is within the curtilage of a dwelling in England, so it is often interpreted as  the area of land managed and enjoyed by the householder, typically shown by having been mown or cultivated. Thus an area abandoned to forest ceases to be within the curtilage.

 

I think it is all probably garden but even if not there are ways around it if you want a bit of light in.