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Residential tree work

Leylandii and Conifer Removal in Swansea

Overgrown leylandii screens and tall conifers dismantled, chipped and cleared, from Gower gardens to Neath and Llanelli.

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When a Windbreak Becomes the Problem

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

Leylandii was planted all over South Wales as a quick windbreak and privacy screen, and on exposed plots it does that job well, until it doesn’t stop growing. Leyland cypress can put on up to a metre a year, so a screen planted a couple of decades ago can easily be eight or ten metres tall, bare at the base and top-heavy. Conifers don’t regrow from old brown wood, so once a hedge reaches that stage, removal is usually the honest answer.

Our teams dismantle the conifers in sections where space is tight, or fell them where there is room, then chip 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 clear for a fence, wall or new planting.

Leylandii and Conifer Removal in Swansea

Reduce It, or Take It Out?

If there is still green growth low down and inside the hedge, it can often be reduced 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 a row of tall brown stems.

Near the coast, think about what will replace it. A conifer screen is often sheltering the rest of the garden, and taking it out in one go can leave everything behind it exposed to salt-laden wind. Escallonia, griselinia and tamarisk cope with coastal conditions far better than beech or laurel. Conifers in a conservation area are protected like any other tree (see protected trees), and between spring and late summer we check 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 views
A tall conifer screen can shade a whole garden and block the view it was never meant to hide.
Top-heavy, exposed trees
Tall conifers on exposed plots catch a lot of wind. A screen that has started to lean or split is a removal job, not a trim.
High hedge 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, which applies in Wales as well as England. 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 the trees are in a conservation area, have a Tree Preservation Order or are protected by a planning condition, you’ll need to tell Swansea, Neath Port Talbot or Carmarthenshire 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, the high hedges rules in Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 apply in Wales too. You can complain to your council about a hedge of two or more mostly evergreen trees over two metres high. Councils charge a fee and expect you to have tried to settle it first.

What should replace leylandii in a coastal garden?

Escallonia, griselinia and tamarisk are all well suited to salt and wind. Inland, beech, hornbeam, yew or a mixed native hedge make good screens that are far easier to keep in check.