neighbour's oak pruning

[Tellme_why]

Hi Forum,

My neighbour's oak need pruning; it's massive and just 2ft from my fence, causing havoc dropping tons of leaf and acorns, starving all my trees of light. The most annoying thing are dead branches and stick falling off at any little wind blow.

Most of my gardening time is spent cleaning up the mess of this tree that is not even mine.. 

I don't understand why law says I have to foot the bill for pruning and not my neighbour, moreover I have to ask permission for pruning their mess.

The neighbour's property is empty, dunno how to speak to him so just preparing to do a search and getting ready what to say.

 

I had once a gardener knocking door asking jobs so I shown this massive tree and he said he could only do bits and pieces but not a whole pruning to stop any branch trespassing to my  property "otherwise the tree gets unbalanced" he said. I am not sure whether this is true - I suspect he was after small jobs and quick bucks too much drama for this monster.

 

Question. See pictures of the tree and how I'd like it to be pruned (second picture). Is this possible? Can I ask the neighbour to pay for it? What kind of permission needed to get the job done?. No impeding TPO on this tree.

 

Final point, I really look forward to reduce this tree proper so hopefully a gang of grey squirrels living off its acorn leave my garden alone and can get my life's back - namely my flowers not eaten by these ba***s..

 

Thanks!

 

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by Tellme_why
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[Mark Bolam]

I do.

It happens all the time.

 

My mate has a big mature oak in his garden, 300+, and our estate was built less than 20 years ago.

His neighbour is complaining it’s crowding a shitty little goat willow that she planted about 8 years ago.

 

What should take precedence?

 

Luckily the oak has a TPO on it, and the TO knows the tree very well.

 

The other point is, contrary to popular public opinion, pruning doesn’t really make a toss of difference in controlling volume of leaves (and acorns).

Heavy pruning ultimately results in a tree as dense as a bog brush and looks shite.

 

[Mark Bolam]

Which oak looks better?

[Mick Dempsey]

In the summer they’d look the same, in the winter only a tree bloke would know the difference.

[jfc]

I stopped doing work on neighbours trees, one side or other often unhappy with the results. Only time I got issues was trees like this.
I have 2 massive tpo trees that block my view, however we get loads of wildlife in them and much better to look at than a new building. Learn to make the most/best of what you can't change!

[Mark Bolam]

14 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

In the summer they’d look the same, in the winter only a tree bloke would know the difference.

In leaf the shape might look the same Mick, but the tree won’t.

There won’t be any light getting through the canopy.

 

I’m with jfc above, boundary trees are a pita and cause loads of issues.

Anyone PLANTING a tree on a boundary is a bit of an arse really - ‘Here you go neighbour, have half of that!’

 

I do feel where the trees pre-date the houses they should be given due consideration, though.

[Mick Dempsey]

7 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

In leaf the shape might look the same Mick, but the tree won’t.

There won’t be any light getting through the canopy.

 

I’m with jfc above, boundary trees are a pita and cause loads of issues.

Anyone PLANTING a tree on a boundary is a bit of an arse really - ‘Here you go neighbour, have half of that!’

 

I do feel where the trees pre-date the houses they should be given due consideration, though.

Then you do periodic re-reductions and thin outs, you know, tree work.

[Mark Bolam]

Tree work that I’ve largely moved away from, thank fukk!

[Tellme_why]

2 hours ago, Lowestoft Firewood said:

Beautiful tree. Leave it alone and move house if it's bothering you that much. And when you hack trees like the planes in your photo they either die or sprout back with vengeance in a couple of years. Oak would probably be the former. 

.. interesting opinion.. thanks but no thanks my house was built way before that tree..

[Tellme_why]

5 hours ago, Will C said:

You cannot just rehouse a nest under the wildlife and countryside act

.. I though that crows are like pest.. so what shall the owner  do with that nest?

[trigger_andy]

2 minutes ago, Tellme_why said:

.. I though that crows are like pest.. so what shall the owner  do with that nest?

Wait?

 

he 'Bird Nesting Season' is officially from February until August and it is recommended that vegetation works (tree or hedge cutting) or site clearance should be done outside of the nesting season. However, in reality the nesting period may start before this and extend beyond it, in some cases.