Our neighbour has planted a row of coniferous trees against the fence between our properties, which is less than three metres from our kitchen window. At the moment they are 2.5 metres high and flourishing and will make our house dark as they grow taller. What can we do legally? What would happen if I chopped them down from our side?
If you chop them down your neighbour could sue you to replace them with similar-sized trees, which could be expensive and futile in the long run but under the high hedges legislation you can ask the council to intervene where a hedge exceeds two metres and presents a barrier to light or access and adversely affects your enjoyment of your property. Your best bet is to discuss this with your neighbour and ask him to keep the trees’ height at two metres.