My neighbour is worried about a Spruce Tree

I cannot see why this has a TPO on it? Urban myth? Have you checked with the council? I am sure they would be able to help your neighbour as this clearly is too near the house for several reasons.

Good grief the council should be demanding that the tree go. Like Drc I am doubtful there is a TPO on it.

The top half of that tree could be removed and still look good.

It is highly unlikely to have a tpo on it

One of our neighbours cut down a huge oak tree that had a TPO on it and was fined £2000 ! However If this tree were in front of my house right now I would get it pruned down by at least 3/4 if not more, this is not the right place to plant a tree is it? We are in fact fighting our council (well our insurance co. is) about our street tree, a huge cherry, that has caused subsidence in both our bay windows, it has taken over a year so far and still no news!

Hmm, tree house! W

That's some memorial. No wonder the widow moved. Like above, I'd get it pruned, have the top cut out, down to the height of the window sill. But a tree surgeon would be able to advise on both the pruning and the drains. Re the TPO, check if it has one. If it has, contact the council, ask their advice re light levels and danger, if damaged in storms. If no good, then get your local mp out and your local newspaper, get them on your neighbours side. With previous experience, I would suggest that that after first refusal, attack is the better option. Good luck.

AS far as I can see from Hessayon. Piceas do not reach any great height and grow slowly. This tree MIGHT be Cedrus Atlantica Page 3 Hessayon. Eventual size 80 feet. Therefore you have a much greater clout to argue from that point for the tree to come down.

Apologies for not making it clear at the outset. Shropshire Council came round in 2005 and slapped a Tree preservation order on the tree. I am in possession of a copy of their Tree PreservationOrder, 2005 which logs this tree as 'T35' and then goes on to list it's type and location in an attached specification. The council recently inspected the tree and told the lady that it was fine. They provided her with a application for tree works, but advised her that she must wait a further 12 months before approaching the council again.

I would loose that piece of paper and get is pruned a.s.a.p. surely the tree is on your land, mind you so was our neighbours oak and they got fined. Who would notice it has been pruned and who will tell the council?? I hope you have kind neighbours who will turn a blind eye, get pruning!

Still dont think there is a TPR here as T35 refers to 'White Beam'? I think its possible the tree concerned in any TPR is long gone?

Get someone with a 4 x 4 or a tractor to drive into it and smash it... Then go the 'Oh dear what do we do now' route :-)

The trouble with TPO's is any damage or even pruning may incur fines! But for the life of me I cannot see how a TPO on this fir tree benefits anyone?

Dorjac: It unfortunately looks like a pretty typical Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens), which grows moderately slowly--30-70 cm per year--but isn't likely to stop until it is a good 30 m tall, and 10 m across, with roots 2 m deep, and 20 m across! It looks like it has already had some pruning some years ago, judging by its relatively narrow "skirt", but that could have been done before the TPO.

Allwright: I'm with you and your neighbor: it looks like she definitely has a problem developing. Regular pruning can reduce or prevent the damage from the roots, but it would take a savvy arborist to keep the tree from looking like a shelling survivor! I'm not sure of the best way to go about it, not being from the UK, but I would definitely start fighting that TPO, possibly in concert with all the neighbors affected by that drain.

If you look at TPO regs on the internet you will see that you have to give notice even to prune an apple tree with a TPO on it!!!!***!!))***!!! So that is as interfering as you can get. The RHS site recommends that a solicitor is used if things get difficult. I know it is expensive but it is less expensive than being dragged into court and fined, expecially when you are very elderly. By the way TB I did say MIGHT a Cedrus.

Sorry, Dorjac! I didn't mean to sound abrupt or critical in any way! Please forgive me.

Thanks for all your helpful comments. We now intend to resubmit the application to the council supported by the signatures of the 20 residents in the same street who all support the removal of the tree. A covering letter will draw upon the most helpful comments provided by yourselves which clearly show the potential problems and also support the removal of this inappropriate planting. I also have the telephone number of the son of the family who planted the tree. I will call him and ask him if I can add his name to the signatory list clearly showing that we have sympathetically communicated with all concerned.
One would hope that this polite approach to the council will achieve the requested approval.

Good luck, hope common sense prevails!

Good luck with all your efforts. The kindly, helpful sort of neighbour that all of us need, to oil the social wheels and keep life less stressful.