Gunman Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Not as grand as it sounds . I have a couple of trees in my average sized suburban garden that have grown from finding them as a couple of self seeded leaves ,but over a 30 year period they have grown quite large .One is a Norwegian Maple the other a silver birch there is also a fir tree of some type that is getting over large that was about 4 foot high when I moved in . My question is simply this , are there any laws/regulations against taking them down ? Edited March 15, 2015 by Gunman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 I wouldn't of thought there will be any issue. Are you in a conservation area? Are these trees offering the wider community any amenity value? My advice would be get them down,if you employ a respectable tree surgeon,he'll advise you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guss109 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Speak to your local tree officer from the planing dept at the council. As if there tpo'd or conservation area it's a fine up to £20000 so worth the ten mins it takes to check Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Speak to your local tree officer from the planing dept at the council. As if there tpo'd or conservation area it's a fine up to £20000 so worth the ten mins it takes to check +1 what harm can it do ? although im pretty sure you could fell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmydean Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 There are tree preservation orders (TPO's) but they tend to be for a group of trees which add to amenity. If you live in a conservation area, TPO's are more likely. Just google your local Council's website and look up your area/house and see. Dont advise people locally before you take them down as someone may request a TPO from the local council and delay or prevent you taking them down. Whilst ignornace is no defence, they can only make you replant (since they are on your land) if you chop them down, whatever they are, as far as I am aware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 I would think you are fine to cut them down . As they are growing in your garden and have been from seedlings , then I guess you would have been informed if a TPO had been put on the trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guss109 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Ignorance won't get you out of the smelly stuff If your found to be in the wrong trust me on this as I'm a tree surgeon and get people trying to bluff all the time that there no tpo's ect. If it's a conservation are the same applies even to self seeded trees you still need permission to take them down. As said before take ten mins to find out or face the music if found to be any orders ect in your area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 But don't mention it to your neighbours at all - anybody can apply for a TPO and truly ****** you up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Get them down on a weekend and don`t tell anyone you`re going to do it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 copper nails, then leave them awhile, then take them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 copper nails, then leave them awhile, then take them down. Just what a chainsaw needs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 anyone with half a brain will see where the nails are and cut below them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 anyone with half a brain will see where the nails are and cut below them. Don't want to fall out,but anybody with half a brain isn't going to knock nails into the base of a tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michufc Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 My best mate is a tree surgeon and he has had customers who had a tpos put on by neighbours just to get one over on them It's always worth a call to check it really is then get a quaility arborist and get a receipt to cover yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 There is a reason he mentioned putting copper nails in the tree, it doenae always work thou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 There is a reason he mentioned putting copper nails in the tree, it doenae always work thouI know,but copper nails snap,ivy grows over them etc. it's easier to just chop them down. I've just done a Google search about them and TPO officers regularly find them bashed in protected trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 There is a reason he mentioned putting copper nails in the tree, it doenae always work thou but always worth a try if it saves having a tree hugger banging on your door about it, it'll save getting a fine too. felly, I don't care whether you want to fall out or not chap, if you want to know why I mentioned copper nails, then ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 but always worth a try if it saves having a tree hugger banging on your door about it, it'll save getting a fine too. felly, I don't care whether you want to fall out or not chap, if you want to know why I mentioned copper nails, then ask. I know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guss109 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 but always worth a try if it saves having a tree hugger banging on your door about it, it'll save getting a fine too. If they think you've tried to kill it or compromise the health of the tree they will still try for a prosecution so maybe not avoiding the fine. You've got to love the double standards as if it was anything to do with loosing your fac/sgc everyone would be jumping on the don't do it band wagon think of your ticket etc. (paddy the last bits not a go at you in case you think it is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 The worst thing that can happen is that you get the local tree officers number from your local council and he says sorry its got a TPO on it, then you get a form which is very easy to fill out, send it off, and usually within a few weeks you will get a letter telling you its okay to carry out the work, I have done quite a few like this and one of my last jobs the whole site was covered by a TPO but through a woodland management plan I was granted all I required. I did a Application for my sister in an allotment and they can be funny *******, but that went through fine. Of course he will probably say no problem just get someone who knows what they are doing to sort it out. The fine is supposed to be the value of the tree, so if you took down a mighty oak in a large park then the amenity value would mean the fine could be huge, a 30 year old self seeded maple, not so much!!! Tap the birch for some wine before you cut it down though, the sap will be rising now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunman Posted March 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks for the heads up .At the moment I dont quite know what I am going to do . Probably just a good pruning and trimming as I don't really want to lose them but they are going to be a problem in a year or two so forewarn and forearmed . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 The maple will come back very hard after a prune and you could end up with more work in a couple of years with that one, in my opinion birch don't prune quite so well so go a bit lightly with that to maintain a good shape. Oh and if they are covered by a TPO then you will still need permission to do a crown reduction!! sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.