Huge evergreens in garden - are they allowed to be cut down

Hellrazer

Hi all.

Quick question.I have 7 really large evergreens growing along my back wall that are completely out of control.Probably 40 - 50 foot high.They block a huge amount of light but also last year a large limb off one of them came down in a strong wind.
I have a few quid saved and I was going to get them cut down to ground level and removed completely.

Are there any legal issues I should be concerned about?
They are all on my property and Ive been trying to maintain them since we moved in but the height is way too much for me to deal with safely.

Advice much appreciated.

CJhaughey

If its in an Urban emvironment or within 30m of your house then there is no need for a felling license.
Your first port of call is to contact a licensed insuredarborist.
They will be able to advise you on the specifics.
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/treefelling/ExemptedTreeInformationNote271017.pdf

New Home

And as I keep saying in this forum, if you need to fell a tree please do it in the autumn/winter, after the nesting season is over.

lawred2

do birds nest in evergreens?

New Home

Yes.

blackbox

New Home wrote: »

And as I keep saying in this forum, if you need to fell a tree please do it in the autumn/winter, after the nesting season is over.

While this is a good idea, it is not mandatory if the tree is within 30m of a building.

If the evergreens are leylandii they are less likely to have nests.

New Home

I wasn't talking about the legality of it, but fair enough.

Doctors room ghost

Once the trees are on your property and are yours you can do what you want with them.as people are saying above cut them when there’s no birds nesting in them.
If you’re handy with a chain saw you could do it yourself but if you’re not, get a professional to fell them and ring them for you.its a dangerous job that will get you killed or get property damaged fast.its expensive but it’s worth it.
If they fell them and ring them you could block them yourself with a good axe.just do them straight away after ringing as they are v easy to block then.

Flipperdipper

If the evergreens are leylandii they are less likely to have nests.

Not necessarily true. I have golden leylandi along one side of my site and there's at least four pigeon nests in them.

Leylandii and similar cypresses of that size usually have plenty of nests in them.

Fleetwoodmac

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Once the trees are on your property and are yours you can do what you want with them.as people are saying above cut them when there’s no birds nesting in them.
If you’re handy with a chain saw you could do it yourself but if you’re not, get a professional to fell them and ring them for you.its a dangerous job that will get you killed or get property damaged fast.its expensive but it’s worth it.
If they fell them and ring them you could block them yourself with a good axe.just do them straight away after ringing as they are v easy to block then.

This is not correct.. there are clear regulations regarding felling of trees,


Some of the exceptions where a felling licence is not required:
• Any hazel, apple, plum, damson, pear or cherry tree grown for the value of its fruit.
• A tree standing within 30.8m (100ft.) of a building.
• Trees in a borough or urban district.
• A tree certified by the local authority as dangerous to road traffic on account of age or condition or being felled under Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993.
• A tree uprooted or cut down by direction of the Minister responsible because it is a danger or obstruction to telegraph or telephone wires.
• A tree cut down by a local authority in connection with road construction etc.

Simply having a tree on your land does not give you permission to cut it down. Birds will nest in evergreens, we are still in nesting season. It is an offence to tamper with a nest, its also very difficult to determine if there is a nest given how well camouflaged they are. Can it wait another few months?

Hellrazer

Sorry about the late reply. Mad busy since I got back to work.
Anyway Ive taken the advice here and got in touch with a registered tree surgeon.

Got a good price to remove and disc the whole lot and it wont be done while nesting is taking place.

Thats a better solution than me injuring myself with a chainsaw.
Hes doing it at a decent price because he doesnt need to remove the waste only the green leaves which Ive already cut up as high as I could reach safely.

Thanks for all the advice.

Richie