[HesterF]

Yes, we had Leylandii cut back last year. We did need permission from our local tree officer but because we are in a conservation area so we need tree permission for all trees over a certain size. If you're not in a conservation area, you don't need permission (there's no way they'll have a TPO on them).

We had about 60 to 70 trees cut back by 3m to 5m (the tallest were about 8m and we've taken them down to about 3m). If yours are 30m (which is absolutely enormous - and must be going on for record breaking - are you sure? ETA - just seen your photo, hard to judge but I'd guess closer to 15m than 30m - bearing in mind a two storey house is probably about 8m), taking them down to 5 ft would be a certain death sentence. I imagine they have very little green growth in their bottom 5ft. Also, as somebody says, they are probably there are a wind break and 5ft is not going to stop any wind. If you hate them that much, just take them out. If you can concede a use as a windbreak, 3m would stand a chance of survival and might come back to look decent after a few years of good pruning. Ours still look a bit shabby because they hadn't been pruned for years but I think they will green up more and more, at least on the sunny side.

Ours were burnt on an enormous bonfire that lasted for over two weeks. It required tyres to start it, left ash all over the neighbours windows (wind changed direction shortly after lighting) and was probably not great for the environment but saved paying the guys to take it away. I did use some of the ash around the garden and on the veg beds and yet to see the results but we're on chalk downland so added acidity is no bad thing.

Your cheaper option would be just to have them taken out and then have the stumps ground. It'll still be hard to replant but a row of stumps looks awful. Our way involved men with climbing gear and chainsaws dealing with each and every tree individually so it took three guys a week and cost us over £2k.

[lachlanandmarcus]

In Scotland you have to have permission to remove anything more than 5 trees. But you can pollard, and copper nails can be useful.

Does this include hedges, since leyllandii are hedge species rather than trees and have clearly been planted as a hedge here rather than an area of woodland?

[doganjo]

Sorry I don't know, try an arboriculturalist 

[escapedtothecountry]

What fun we had moving and sawing up a tree whose top fell off in the wind. Ughhh - exhausted!

[scarlettoara]

In Scotland you have to have permission to remove anything more than 5 trees. But you can pollard, and copper nails can be useful.

Does this include hedges, since leyllandii are hedge species rather than trees and have clearly been planted as a hedge here rather than an area of woodland?

i thought scotlands allowance without a license was 5 cubic metres, measuring the trunks at chest height.

be careful when burning leylandi branches, they take off pretty wildly.
we have a row up our driveway, i cut all the lower branches off last year, tooks weeks but lets the sun shine through to the grass now, whereas before it was shade and no grass. the roots are breaking up the tarmac though.

[doganjo]

The Forestry Commission has a 5 cubic metres rule which is for each quarter so effectively it is about 5 trees,  Fruit trees, garden trees, orchard trees, open community space trees are not included, nor are saplings under 1.3 meters, or trees to be felled to make way for development unless they have TPOs on them
Licences are not usually granted for clearing trees to make the land suitable for agricultural use..

[spandit]

Leylandii is quite rot resistant - if the trees are that big there may be a timber value. Once properly dried it burns well in a stove but I'd mix it with other hardwoods as it goes quickly.

As mentioned, it's pretty flammable - tends to be full of dead materials which goes up like it's soaked in petrol

[FiB]

Have to say they burn Fabulously if you have a really good log burner (burns fast and furious in our clearview where you can control the draw, a bit more of a taring worry in our cheap and cheerful pritty boiler stove) and they are dry - the resin in them gets started quick and they burn fast and hot (dont try and damp as if they dont burn hot they will tar your flue) - we logged a neighbours leylandi last year and it has saved us this winter - was on the dregs of seasoned wood when the snow hit!  So dont chuck it out - save it for emergencies.  Agree that you dont need permission for hedges, but would potentially fall foul of wildlife act re nesting.

[Lesley Silvester]

We had about 12 removed a few years back.  It cost £300 but they were door knockers who were "working in the area" and dumped a load of the stuff round the back so we had the council after us for fly-tipping.  That cost us another £30 for the council to clear it.  If you remove all the branches, the trees die as they don't put out new branches.  I aksed for 6 foot stumps to be left as I planned on growing climbers such as honeysuckle up them and nailed on some nesting boxes.  The bark is gradually peeling off now.

The garden has been so much lighter since they've been gone.  We did have quite a few birds nesting in them but they were wood pigeons so good riddance.

[doganjo]

Mine are riddled with pigeons of a few different varieties since teh chap who built the house was a fancier and left some behind when he moved!  Big fat woodies are a damn pest when they decimate my beges, but the creamy grey doves are pretty.

[ellied]

I had several here amongst other conifers used as windbreaks in all directions from the house, my neighbours inherited a "hedge" of them 15m tall too.  Mine would be planted 1972-3 when the house was built - in winter 2010 one huge branch came down parallel to my house and 3m from the back door.  I had the rest of it taken down and a local man with a chainsaw did the deed for £50 with me doing all the hauling out and him just wielding the chainsaw.  After a year the logs burned fine on my open fire, bit sparky but fine with a fireguard.

Following winter I had similar problems with an even bigger leylandi beside my barn and the oil tank.  Cost me £200 to get that taken down because of proximity to buildings/tank and its size ie hours worked.  I got another 2 lighter weight leylandii taken down for £100 the same year as by then one of my neighbours' trees had lost a branch over the fence into my ponies' field and one of them died a horrible way after eating it - took 5 days for it to be removed as neighbours had been away and I couldn't manage it alone.  Neighbours were mortified and took down the rest of theirs too, so we're now all leylandii free here and always will be.  Roots still in the ground but nothing coming up, still using up the last of the logs and last 2 weekends the neighbour came with his own chainsaw and took down 1.5 other overgrown conifers that had been wind damaged - 2nd is still a standing trunk to be removed when he next has time.  I gave him all the wood of the first tree and he will get half of the second bigger one too, as I can't pay his chain/oil/time costs.  Again I did the hauling and rope pulling for the higher sections, and am left with stacks of branches to strip down - I bonfire the loose and smaller pieces and use anything over 1" diameter as kindling.  He has a WBS so no spark worries.

I'd get them out and gone asap personally.  Nasty poisonous to stock, kill the ground and burn nicely   Windbreak yes but wind-damaged and falling on house, fences, behind back door, thanks but no.  I want to replace with another windbreak but am thinking either poplar further down the field or a willow hedge, something that may break off but not be as heavy when falling..

[waddy]

There are some enormous ones at the place we are buying. They have definitely got to go. We have been looking what to do with the timber apart for just burning or chipping for paths. According to one site they are good for fencing and other building purposes. the resin in them makes them resistant to rot.


Helen

[escapedtothecountry]

Our quote to have them all down.... All the horrible stuff chopped and the rest stacked in 3 foot long logs.,, £4500

[scarlettoara]

Our quote to have them all down.... All the horrible stuff chopped and the rest stacked in 3 foot long logs.,, £4500

thats serious money. phew.

[FiB]

jeez - where do you live - I'll come!!!!    (saddly I'm not qualified/insured  for tree climbing and large trees - else I would!!!)  Id deffo be getting a few more quotes!!!!!!  Good luck, Fi xx