How best to deal with this copper beech

[Legohead]

Hi

 

I am about to buy a house, and initially was not that put off by the large copper beech in the front garden. I was just going to have it out. However now having done the research I am starting to think twice.

 

As you can see from the picture, the tree starts at ground level of the property to the right, and has a wall built around it. It is leaning on to this wall. It pre dates the house in the 1970 s I believe so quite a large soil deficit I would imagine. The house is sitting on some loamy, reasonably good draining soil at the top of a hill, leading down to a river, so I am assuming decent drainage down the hill. The house is one of those 3 level houses so it has a basement, and am worried about heave should I remove it, laterally onto the basement walls, and also the wall that borders the property to the right as you look at the picture. There is no subsidence issues and has never been. The structure of the house is good. But the tree certainly needs to be trimmed as it is touching the windows of the house. What should I do?

[fagus]

I would hazard an opinion that the tree is far older than that style of house; the bad decision was made when the house was allowed so close to a mature tree.You are really buying a tree with a house. I would go further and say you will alienate the neighbourhood by removing the tree which will be expensive. In the street it could be some old dears pride and joy and the only big piece of greenery she sees.

There is a fair chance that if the local council hear of it,from the neighbours, you might have a Tpo on it overnight if only to secure the situation for further investigation before the Tpo is confirmed.Might be bats in it, which would stop you. Big can of worms might be open here.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

its a lovely tree, it will almost certainly, if it did fail probably fail onto front lawn away from houses. It has been reduced before, fairly well too i think.

 

Its a keeper in my book, but then im happy to live here with a 300 year old oak outside my bedroom window!

[Marc]

I'd love a tree like that in my front garden, we recently felled a 250 year old one in someone's rear garden on a property of similar age and style, they bought the house especially because of the tree Kreutzmaria and a failed union was its eventual demise but they got 30years of enjoyment out of it.

 

I'm all for huge trees in the Urban environment not some poxy flowering cherry. I've had to reduce a few hundred footers (and I mean genuine needed a 60m climbing line 100ft!) growing meters away from properties with the crown extending vast distances over fragile roofs what fun that is rigging it off.

 

But alas we cannot all share that view, and if you do not want the tree the get rid if it's not protected, it's your potential purchase and your space who am I to judge you.

[JimM]

I would hazard an opinion that the tree is far older than that style of house; the bad decision was made when the house was allowed so close to a mature tree.You are really buying a tree with a house. I would go further and say you will alienate the neighbourhood by removing the tree which will be expensive. In the street it could be some old dears pride and joy and the only big piece of greenery she sees.

 

There is a fair chance that if the local council hear of it,from the neighbours, you might have a Tpo on it overnight if only to secure the situation for further investigation before the Tpo is confirmed.Might be bats in it, which would stop you. Big can of worms might be open here.

 

 

I think you left out the bit about the quadriplegic deaf and blind cancer sufferer who is only hanging on to life through being able to see the tree each day, or the fact that Britain's only native leopard hangs it's kill in the upper branches. ;-)

 

Sorry, but I think it's a bit dramatic to say all that and gives the owner additional worries. The simple situation is that the owner gets the tree surgeon round. They quote a reasonable price to do that job and take it down. Two days later the neighbours are more concerned about who is now killing who in Corrie or Enders and the tree is forgotten about. A couple of weeks later a new small tree appears and they walk past and say "oh, that's nice".

[bob]

Buy the house

See how you go with the tree for a yr

Poss prune and see if that's better

If not remove it.

Ideally check if it's protected and you can either do that online if your council has that facility

Or ring them up and ask

But I would doubt any structural damage will be caused unless on bad desiccated clay and insurance will cover that.

I would guess mortgage company will want a report done? Anyhow prior to lending on the property

[Mountain man]

Nice tree, wrong place, fell it..

[Legohead]

It looks like the house was built in 1970. Looking at the tree do you think the tree is much older than the house ? It was obviously there before the house was built as they have built a retaining wall around this tree. so how old do you think the tree is ?

 

The house is on a hill at the top. I am assuming this means god drainage. The water will run down to a small river 200 metres away. Am i correct in this assumption ?