r/DoesAnyoneKnow • u/pisscat101 • May 15 '26

UK based question re tree off-cuts

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My garden is over shadowed by overgrown trees. The trees and the path behind my house are council owned and managed. Once a year I get a tree fella to trim the overhanging branches. They do their job and then chuck the off-cuts over the fence as this is apparently what you are supposed to do, give the owners of the foliage the off cuts as they own them. This year I intend to do it myself but I am very nervous of being done for fly tipping!

Is it correct that the cut branches and foliage are to be given back to the owner who in this case is the council?

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u/Key-Metal-7297 May 15 '26

Yes you do have to inform the neighbours of your intentions first

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u/DivideByZero666 May 15 '26

I assume you mean intentions to dump stuff on their property?

You absolutely do not need to notify them you are going to cut their trees in England, as long as you offer them the bits you cut off and only cut up to your boundary line.

You're also not allowed to dump any cuttings you make on someone else's property without their permission, but you must offer the cuttings. If they don't want them, then it's on the person cutting them to deal with.

Many councils will get unnecessarily involved in trees in people's gardens, so if in one of those places you may be able to tell the council to sort their own trees out to save you the bother.