Leylandii and Conifer Removal in Northampton

Reduce or Remove? How We Approach Leylandii Jobs

Leylandii do not behave like beech, hawthorn or privet. The RHS advises that new growth will not appear from bare wood, so once the green outer layer is cut away you are left with brown patches that stay brown. Healthy plants can usually take a reduction of up to one third of their height, but taking off much more risks a bare, flat-topped hedge and can kill older or weaker plants. The RHS says leylandii can be trimmed up to three times a year between April and the end of August. If your hedge is mostly green and only a little too tall, our teams can often reduce it and keep it. If it is bare and brown inside, far wider than you want or too tall to cut back sensibly, removal and replanting is the more honest answer. Tall conifers are usually taken down in sections, with pieces lowered where there is no room to drop anything.

Wildlife and the Law

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to damage a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built. The RSPB describes March to September as the main nesting season, so if your job falls in spring or summer we check carefully first and will tell you if it needs to wait. You do not need a felling licence for trees in a private garden, but you should check for a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area. West Northamptonshire Council's interactive map has both layers, though it is indicative only and the legal order takes precedence. See protected trees in Northampton.

If a neighbour's conifer hedge is blocking your light, Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 lets councils deal with complaints. The hedge must be a line of two or more mostly evergreen trees or shrubs over 2 metres tall, and its height must affect your reasonable enjoyment of your home or garden. Councils cannot deal with roots, and cannot require a hedge to be cut below 2 metres. You must try to sort it out with your neighbour first and keep a record. Each council has its own route and fee: West Northamptonshire Council (Northampton, Moulton, Brixworth, Daventry, Towcester) £600 payable once the application is accepted; North Northamptonshire Council (Wellingborough, Earls Barton) £400; Harborough District Council (Market Harborough) £300, not refunded if the complaint fails. Fees as listed by the councils in November 2026, so check the current figure. If you are the hedge owner, reducing it properly now is often simpler than waiting for a notice.