Problem tree.

Who owns that bit of land?

You do not need a licence to fell trees in gardens. However, for trees outside gardens, you may need to apply to the Forestry Commission for a felling licence, whether or not they are covered by a TPO. You can find out more about felling licences at Felling Licences quick guide (England) or in the Forestry Commission’s booklet

You do not need a licence to fell trees in gardens.
But you cannot fell a tree, even in your own garden, if it has a TPO on it unless inspected by the County Council's Tree Officer and declared unsafe.

The fine could be about £20,000.

I'd love to have an oak tree in or near my garden and agree with other comments that it should not be felled. I tried to grow one from an acorn once with a view to planting it in the far corner of our then large empty garden of a new build house. Unfortunately the small specimen didn't survive but I'd be happy to deal with a few leaves to have the pleasure of such a tree.

Do not contribute to cutting down a healthy tree. Your neighbour should be lucky that the tree is there because trees cut down the effects of pollution and every one of them is precious. Also, you have to ask RSPB because birds nest in trees and there are only certain times of year when the tree can be cut. It is illegal to cut down trees at nesting times. Now if it were a leylandii............................................

All the leaves fall into his garden

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
Or when life gives you leaves, make compost.

Some assumptions being made about this. kircubbin hasn't said her neighbour is vile, bullying, a fool etc, just that he's been complaining about the leaves. She hasn't said that he bullied the other lady, just that she had offered to pay - perhaps she mistakenly feels the tree belongs to her. I agree that the tree should not be destroyed, it must be a beautiful sight, but sweeping up leaves every year for several years isn't trivial, especially if this man is elderly. My friend, in her late eighties, used to spend all autumn and winter, for about 10 years, raking/bagging up or worrying about all the leaves in her garden. She didn't garden so had no use for a compost heap, she was just worried the garden was messy and the leaves were slippy when she was hanging washing out. She had no trees at all in her garden - the trees were her neighbours' lovely mature specimens, and not once did she ask them to cut them down or complain to them, but the wind direction meant that they didn't get the bulk of the leaves, she did. Family used to help when they could but some days she would be exhausted by it all. And not once did a neighbour offer to help. In the end she moved to a bungalow without a garden. Maybe if you all found a way together ease this man's problems by raking the leaves together, or better still hire a gardener, you could solve the problem without the tree being cut or the old lady spending her savings.

but sweeping up leaves every year for several years isn't trivial, especially if this man is elderly.
We know that only too well and most of the trees are not in our garden but our neighbours.

Better to hire a gardener between them, as you suggest justwokeup , and cheaper in the long run than paying for the tee to be cut down and risking a huge fine.

Has anyone checked if there is a preservation order on it- it’s a criminal act to fell a tree that has one. Aside from the legality how very very sad to cut it down we are losing so much of our greenery to development and, no doubt,a vast amount of wildlife will be made homeless

Someone needs to find out who it belongs to and if there's a tree preservation order on it. There could well be especially since it's an oak tree. Trees are lovely but can be a lot of hard work when it comes to cleaning up the leaves. Perhaps your neighbour would appreciate some help in cleaning up.

I assume that those who say it's not hard to get a few leaves up must be very fit. It is hard work, I live at the side of a park and Autumn is a nightmare. The amount of leaves even a medium sized tree give off is a hell of a lot and not everyone wants or needs to make compost. As a lot of authorities now charge to remove garden waste in theory we're paying to remove waste which is not ours. I just pray for the wind to blow the leaves away from our property.

Perhaps you could all contribute to a leaf blower for him - much cheaper than £1,000 lol

Please don’t cut down oak tree. Maybe all 3 house owners contribute towards a leaf gatherer / blower and join together to help clear leaves.

I know that leaf blowers can be bought for a very modest sum but, the idea of all clubbing together to buy one, could cause trouble.
Who gets to keep it on their property? Suppose one person lends it to a relative who fails to return it on time or breaks it...what then?
No. Get out of the conversations and stay out.

Agree with everyone else, it would be a tragedy to cut down an old oak tree. Just to add a point not previously mentioned, if your ground is mostly clay and you cut down a huge thirsty tree it can cause 'heave' which will affect the ground around it and could cause subsidence of property if close by.

The idea of buying a communal leaf blower or having a communal day of raking sounds excellent.

My grandad always called me Plop as a child (My real name is Paula). Then my husband calls me Molly and it was him who added the 2 together.
Good for you regarding the tree. Sadly people don't realise h9w important they are to the environment and wildlife.

Why should this lady be paying so much money to have a beautiful tree cut down because of a whim of a grumpy old man.He should be used to falling leaves by now, obviously the tree was there when he bought the house. He could pay a youngster to clear up the leaves, and do everyone a favour.
Please dont give in to this man.

One couple near me is so rude and "naggy" about a mature tree in OUR garden (mature before they moved in) that I try to avoid them. They say it casts too much shade where they gave put their garden bench.
They have a big garden. The bench could easily go along a bit I feel.

I agree with others. He should find someone to clear the leaves for him if he's bothered so much about them. Maybe there's a family member that could help him. Let him sort it out. No way should you or your neighbour get involved or pay any money just to shut him up. It's not your tree. Would he pay for either of you if you were nagging about the leaves if they were falling in your garden? I doubt it.

He could move …..

No, no, no don't cut down that Oak tree. Its been there a lot longer than any of you. Offer to rake up the leaves, I would. Then offer the grump some tea and cake.

DO NOT CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING! THE OAK TREE SHOULD NOT BE CUT DOWN, ESPECIALLY IF NOBODY ADMITS OWNERSHIP! I'M CERTAIN SOMEONE WOULD BE PREPARED TO RAKE UP THE LEAVES, WHICH CAN THEN BE USED FOR MULCH!

Don't give him any money straight off and if it is growing in no-ones garden it is the Councils property

Let your neighbour battle it out with the Council as he is the one complaining What the other woman does is up to her

Please leave the tree alone!! We had 2 enormous oak trees at the bottom of the garden in our previous home. It was never clear if they belonged to us or the council but we didn’t really care. Autumn was very hard work but I’m sure it was good exercise!! We loved those trees and our planet needs them. They also support a tremendous amount of wildlife. I doubt it would be allowed to destroy them anyway. Spend the money on an industrial size garden vacuum and enjoy the trees.

As someone else implied, oak trees are very slow to grow, so that one must have been there well before the houses were built.

I’ve also been nagged by my next door neighbour to cut my weeping willow tree down.
She hates the leaves falling into her garden, she hates it that it attracts the birds who then sometimes sits on her windowsill and poops on her path.
Well that is all very well except that my tree isn’t the only one in the neighbourhood and that if I was to cut mine down the birds would still be around and so would the leaves. She hasn’t said anything to the other tree owners,who incidentally are men or is it because I’m on my own? I don’t know but the tree isn’t going anywhere!
Stand your ground op team up with the other lady and show a united front.
If he hates the tree that much let him sort it and maybe get fined if an order is on the tree ?

Good for you HiChick ??