Will My Neighbour’s Trees Prevent My Self Build?

4 March 2022
by Helen Humphries

I have a fairly large garden that's suitable for building another house. However, my neighbour's spruce tree is less than 9m from the place I would need to dig the foundations. Given that the tree is over 13m-high, is there anyway to progress with my plan?

2 Answers

  1. Anamika Talwaria says:

    Hi Helen,

    Thank you for your question. I have put this to our planning experts and hope to have an answer for you shortly.

    Best wishes,
    Anamika Talwaria (Features editor, Build It)

  2. Martin Gaine says:

    Trees can be an obstacle to building an extension or a new home. If applying for planning permission, the council will want to see that you have taken into account the impact of the development on any nearby trees. If the tree is on your own land and is not protected (by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or because you are in a conservation area), you can generally remove it. However, you would not be able to remove a tree on someone else’s land.

    The best approach is to hire a tree specialist to come and assess the tree and work out whether your proposed development will cause any harm to it or whether it could be designed to avoid causing any harm (by using a particular kind of foundation, for example). If the specialist gives encouraging feedback, ask them to prepare a full report and submit it with your planning application.

    Martin Gaine (Build It Planning Expert)

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