Neighbours oak tree is excluding light from our garden

Did you not see a 20ft oak tree next door when viewing your property?
As a keen gardener surely you must have known how big they can grow.

I don’t think you can do much about the tree, the Leylandii hedge really ought to be controlled if you have a word with the practice manager and negotiate action, I don’t suppose it matters much to them how high the hedge is.

I do sympathise with anyone with tree issue having been in tricky situations with neighbours constantly over trees. We moved into a house with a gorgeous garden with oak trees at the rear of the garden. We did not know until we signed contracts the trees had a preservation order. We both worked full time often when we arrived home our garden had been interfered with. There would be burnt out fires and the smell of creosote thrown everywhere.
None of the neighbours actually complained about the trees to us so we didn’t know who was causing the damage. If we would have known we could have tried to come to some sort of arrangement. We had to move as I was not happy being there knowing someone was doing such things on our property.
We moved to another house years later and had nothing but trouble from day one with a neighbour over conifers. We obliged and had them cut down considerably every year our neighbour was never happy. We ended up spending a few thousand pounds having them taken down completely.
Now the very same neighbour has the tallest trees in his garden but we won’t complain about them. I have had my fill of neighbours about trees my advice just try and talk with neighbours and come to some sort of compromise.

If I had my time again I would never have bought a house surrounded by trees

No, they're lovely but in the right place.
Contact the Tree Officer at the local Council to find out if it has a TPO.

Firstly approach them to see if they will reduce the hedge, leylandii are a real nuisance and the roots can form a long fibrous rope which could go down your drains and soakaways.

You could mention the tree which is causing you problems at the same time although it does seem a great pity to chop down a mature oak.
I do know what a nuisance the leaves can be in autumn - we get leaves from everyone else's trees piling up in our garden.

If it's a doctors surgery I wouldn't think they'd be overbothered about cutting the hedge down to size. If it's 12ft high and the 'legal' height for it is 2 metres then it's nearly double the height it should be.

I don't know what could be done about the oak tree, but I think it would be really worth talking to them about it, you might find them quite amenable; they probably have no idea about the distress their tree and hedge are causing.

I feel for you but you are in difficult situation , as for the conifer hedge............ don't get me started -I hate them !! I doubt there is anything you can do but I wish you good luck.
Please keep posting and let us know if you make progress.

I had a tree surgeon out to look at my problem tree. I’d looked up the reasons to have a tree removed and even if it’s causing subsidence to your house the tree is still more important. There is a loose branch that is dangerous and that is the responsibility of my neighbour so I’m going to write to him. If I had my time again I would never have bought a house surrounded by trees. All I do is clear away pine needles, my driveway is lifting up, I worry about the roots damaging the water pipes and the pigeons that roost in it poo everywhere. I can’t keep my bins down the side of the house because of them. Everything in my garden grows sideways ( if it grows at all). It cost me £700 a few years ago to have the branches cut back, and they hardly took anything off.

You can' do a thing and they know it. You'll go grey and poor trying. If you get the council involved and you try to sell it will go against you.

I’m in the same situation with a giant sycamore at the end of my neighbour’s garden. Hard to explain, but it’s position at the end of their garden, at an angle to their house doesn’t affect them. Unfortunately as the sun goes round it puts about 80% of my garden in shade at one time or another. I’m fortunate in having a big garden, so I can always find a sunny spot if I want one. It’s the keys and leaves that bother me most, as most are dumped in my garden. The first few garden refuse collections are just leaves, which I have collected in bin bags and overwintered behind my shed.
It’s so big, I don’t think it will actually grow much more in my lifetime - perhaps all I can hope for is a lightening strike!

You can only have a right to windows in buildings, not land that isn’t built on. You could claim a right to light for a greenhouse if you could demonstrate that it had enjoyed unobstructed light for 20 years.

If the hedge is comprised of leylandii, it sounds as though they are at the maximum height of 2 metres allowed by law but your local council may decide that they should be shorter and order them to be trimmed.

I would suggest your best bet is to ask to speak to the practice manager to see if something can be negotiated.

You may have a better chance of getting the hedge reduced. See The High Hedges Act

First thing is to see if there is a Tree Preservation Order on it.
Not sure but don’t think there is a right to light law.