Overhanging Trees

[rogerab]

Hope someone can point me in the right direction here...

We have a problem with overhanging trees at the bottom of a neighbour's garden which the side of our house faces.
They have very tall thin trees that are overhanging. So much currently that at the front of the house they are almost in our bedroom windows and guttering and at the side almost obscuring our satellite dish. At the front anyone walking on the pavement has to walk in the road (unless they are less than 4ft high).
Their height is almost as high as the house.

We have approached our neighbour about cutting them down but she is reluctant to do them herself as she is on income support. She said we are welcome to do it but she will decide how much they can be cut down which is fair enough. Basically she doesn't care because it's not affecting her.

We are not happy to have to foot the bill (we would probably have to get someone in to do it due to the height) when it's her trees.

Any ideas how she can be made to cut them back - district council, etc.? Especially as they are impeding the pavement.

Thanks in advance.

[Buenchico]

If the trees are overhanging a public footpath, the district council can force her to cut them back. (If she doesn't do so, the council can cut them back and send her the bill). I know this because I'm the world's worst gardener and I get at least one threatening letter every year, from our district council, about a large shrub which overhangs the public footpath :-)

The order to cut the trees back, so that they don't overhang the footpath, won't force your neighbour to cut back those parts of the trees which overhang your property or obstruct your light. However, if the trees are evergreens and cause you significant problems, you can ask the council to make a 'high hedge order' which will force your neighbour to cut them back. You need to be aware though, that the council will charge you a fee considering the order (which they're not obliged to make if they don't think that the matter is serious enough):
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/W hereYouLive/NoiseNuisanceAndLitter/DG_10029999

Chris

[rogerab]

Many thanks for your help Chris