Huge conifer trees looming over homes for the chop

Leylandii are the fastest growing conifer trees in the UK

A huge set of overgrown conifer trees at a GP surgery car park are to be cut down after neighbours complained.

The enormous leylandii, looming over a row of houses in Skelton, led to a formal complaint lodged with Redcar and Cleveland Council's planning department.

Residents Mick Doe and Julie Swales, of Copeland Close, claimed the conifers, which have submerged a lamppost, blocked sunlight reaching their home.

A spokesperson for the council said following discussions the trees in the Hillside Practice car park "will be removed" when bird nesting season is over.

In a submission to the council, Mr Doe said the trees were "growing rapidly" and encroaching on fencing as well as blocking sunlight, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

It is understood they were planted as part of planning permission for the surgery when it opened in 2008, in order to screen the development from nearby homes.

The residents had wanted the trees to be trimmed to an "acceptable height".

Mr Doe, who did not want to comment when approached by a reporter, told the council he had been in communication with the practice for more than a year in an attempt to resolve the matter.

'Positive discussions'

A representative for Hillside Practice, based on Windermere Drive, said it had sought clarification over the status of the trees and whether they were protected in planning terms.

The correspondence also showed some back and forth over who had responsibility for them.

"These trees are a known issue and the council is happy for them to be removed," the representative said.

"They are fast growing and the council advised they can cause a lot of problems.

"We have engaged with him [Mr Doe], but it has been a long process."

A council spokesperson said there had been "positive discussions" with both parties.

"We're pleased to be able to confirm that these trees will be removed when the bird nesting season is over in the coming weeks," he said.

Leylandii, also known as the Leyland cypress, is the fastest growing conifer in the UK.