I live in an ex-council house and the council have told me to cut some trees on our land as the neighbour (council tenant) has said that they block their light and cause too many leaves.

As the trees are on my land I am assuming I am perfectly in my rights to say no to this, and even go one further and say if they want it done then they can do it themselves at their cost.

Legally does this stand up?

Sketchy ground full stop!! And I’d be mainly upset that the neighbour was so unsociable he/she couldn’t have a chat with you about it rather than going to the council. That sucks balls!!!

May be worth checking deeds for restrictive covenants/ reserved rights clauses.

A neighbour complained about our trees to the local council, we got a threateneing letter off the council, telling us to cut them or they would and re charge us for the work, so we had them all cut down.

Strangely the neighbour then complainied about the trees being cut down, and a few neighbours also complained.

We have now saved money on tree mainatance, clearing leaves, blocked gutters, and damm birds chirping every morning.

not too fussed that the neighbour didn’t ask. They are on a completely different street to us as the land is back to back. Plus we have only been in three weeks.

The trees are in kind of no mans land because it seems that the previous tenant moved the boundary fence a foot inwards so that they could put up a fence. So there is two fences and the trees are in the middle but technically belong to us.

Reading through all the docs now but don’t remember anything special about the trees apart from the fence being moved.

Don’t forget all trees, by default, have a preservation order them and you will need written permission ( oddly enough, from the same council ) to cut down any individual tree/s.

Don’t forget all trees, by default, have a preservation order them

Nope they don’t.

A ha I found I can tell them to go swing from the trees (as long as they don’t encroach on my land) 🙂

My council
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/fol/trees_law.html#neg

You cannot compel a neighbouring landowner to manage their trees or to carry out tree work to your satisfaction unless you bring forward and win a civil action

Other council http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/answers/trees/treesandthelaw.shtml#faq3

So unless the council launch civil action against me then I don’t have to do anything. So I will say no but give them the option to do it at their own costs if they so wish.