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Residential tree work

Leylandii and Conifer Removal in Stockport

Overgrown leylandii hedges and tall conifers felled or dismantled, chipped and cleared, with stump grinding to finish.

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When a Conifer Hedge Has Got Away From You

Stockport Tree Surgeons arranges leylandii & conifer removal across Stockport and the surrounding towns, carried out by NPTC-qualified, fully insured tree surgery teams.

Leyland cypress can put on up to a metre of growth a year. A lot of the leylandii screens planted across Stockport in the 1970s, 80s and 90s are now far taller than anyone intended, brown and bare at the bottom and eating two or three metres into the garden. Conifers don’t regrow from old brown wood, so once a hedge has reached that stage, cutting it back won’t bring it back. Removal is usually the real fix.

Our teams fell or dismantle the conifers in sections, depending on the space, chip all the brash on site and take it away. Logs can be left for you if you want them. Add stump grinding and the line is ready for a new fence, wall or hedge.

Leylandii and Conifer Removal in Stockport

Reduce or Remove?

If there is still green growth on the lower and inner parts, a leylandii hedge can often be brought down in height and cut back to a manageable size instead. See hedge trimming. If the lower half has gone brown and bare, reducing it will only leave you with a row of tall brown stems.

A long conifer hedge is often the boundary between two gardens, so it’s worth checking who owns it and talking to your neighbour before it comes out. Conifers in a conservation area are protected like any other tree (see protected trees), and between spring and late summer we check carefully for nesting birds before any cutting starts.

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Leylandii & Conifer Removal by a qualified tree surgery team

Why People Remove Leylandii

Light and space
A tall conifer hedge can shade a whole garden and take two or three metres of width out of it.
Dry, bare ground
Conifers take a lot of water from the soil around them, so very little grows in their shadow.
Neighbour disputes
An evergreen hedge over two metres high that blocks light can be the subject of a high hedge complaint, and the council can order it to be cut down to size.

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Good to know

Leylandii & Conifer Removal: Common Questions

Can you remove leylandii in bird nesting season?

Yes, but only after a careful check for active nests. Damaging or destroying an active nest is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If birds are nesting, that section has to wait. Autumn and winter are the easiest times to book removal.

Do I need permission to remove a leylandii hedge?

Usually not. Garden hedges aren’t covered by the Hedgerows Regulations, which apply to countryside hedgerows. But if you live in one of Stockport’s 37 conservation areas, or the trees have a Tree Preservation Order or are protected by a planning condition, you’ll need to tell the council or get consent first.

My neighbour’s leylandii is too tall. What can I do?

Talk to them first. If that doesn’t work, you can make a high hedge complaint to the council under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. It covers hedges of two or more mostly evergreen trees over two metres high. Councils charge a fee and expect you to have tried to settle it with your neighbour first.

What should I plant instead of leylandii?

Beech, hornbeam, yew, laurel or a mixed native hedge all make good screens and are far easier to keep in check. A fence with climbers gives you an instant screen while a new hedge grows.