Search the Community

I live in North Wales in the town of Connah's quay. there is a tree belonging to Network Rail. the branches of this tree are hanging over my back yard. I have contacted the Network Rail but they refused to cut it. they want me to cut and pay for the work. what to do about it? does anybody knows? thank you

Hi all, I hope I have come to the right place to post this - and thanks for listening. I'm by no means an arborist but my tree surgeon has suggested that I use this forum to ask for a bit of advice and guidance; any of which would be welcomed and very much appreciated! I live in an old Station Master's house and my back garden runs parallel to the village station platform for about 50 meters. I have about 40-odd very large Leylandii trees bordering the station platform, most of which overhang the platform at height to a greater or lesser extent (picture attached). The rail operator has asked me to address this problem by either removing or reducing the trees, and initially suggested that I use one of their contractors. However, their contractor's price was prohibitively high (over £15k for removal) so I have looked into other options. I have found a great local, reputable alternative who can complete the job for around £5.2k. All good news.. except Network Rail (NR) are now insisting that I cannot complete the job without their involvement due to the proximity of the trees in relation to the platform and tracks. Of course NR are not willing to do this for nothing and they have effectively quoted about £1.5k PER DAY for project management, site safety officers and other "bloatware" etc etc. My tree surgeon has suggested that the job could take around 10 days, so it's easy to see how the NR costs could spiral out of control. I have considered just doing the job without NR's involvement, but they have made it very clear to me that the potential fines and liability if things go wrong are huge. I'm not sure whether this is just a scare tactic, or whether I would actually be liable if trains were delayed/damaged or NR property was damaged. I have also asked for a forward schedule of rail line closures so that I could plan the work for when trains are not running to reduce the risk, but they have declined to provide this information and are unwilling to accept this as a feasible option. I was wondering whether anyone has ever come across a similar situation - specifically dealing with Network Rail - and could advise on my rights as a private landowner or offer any advice on how I could deal with Network Rail? I'm keen to do the right thing but I am a private home owner after all, and have little cash to to burn! I think NR's costs, in comparison to my tree surgeon's costs, are ridiculous and there seems to be a reluctance from NR to consider alternatives. Thanks again all for any advice or guidance you could offer. Graeme