Trees and high hedges
Advice and support on this page is administered by the Department of Infrastructure's Legislation Unit.
Trees and hedges are a key element of our countryside, but they also have a major part to play in our urban areas. Trees and hedges in private gardens, parks and streets are of great importance to people, particularly in residential areas. However, they need to be selected and planted with care and managed appropriately if we are to make the most of their potential to enhance the environment. Trees are in general, protected by the Tree Preservation Act 1993 and may be further protected by Registration under the Act or through other legal safeguards which help to make sure that they are not lost or damaged needlessly.
Where trees or hedges get out of hand problems can occur, such as where a high hedge restricts someone's use or enjoyment of their property. The Trees and High Hedges Act 2005 was introduced to address this problem. Under this legislation Local Authorities have delegated powers to deal with complaints about tree(s) and high hedges, however, they can only intervene once an individual has tried and exhausted all other avenues of resolving their dispute.
Please note that the role of Local Authorities is to act as an independent and impartial adjudicator in those cases which individuals cannot settle for themselves.
Both the Tree Preservation Act 1993 and Trees and High Hedges Act 2005 can be viewed on the Isle of Man Government’s Legislation Online website.
Contact information
Should you not be able to resolve the dispute with your neighbour and require further advice on how to proceed with a complaint, you will need to contact the Local Authority for your area.
| Local Authority | Contact Tel No. |
|---|---|
| Andreas | + 44 7624 306103 |
| Arbory and Rushen | + 44 1624 834501 |
| Ballaugh | + 44 7624 204166 |
| Braddan | + 44 1624 852808 |
| Bride | + 44 1624 819235 |
| Castletown | + 44 1624 825005 |
| Douglas | + 44 1624 696300 |
| Garff (Laxey, Lonan and Maughold | + 44 1624 861241 |
| German | + 44 1624 816112 |
| Jurby | + 44 7624 342090 |
| Malew | + 44 1624 823522 |
| Marown | + 44 1624 851630 |
| Michael | + 44 1624 878836 |
| Onchan | + 44 1624 675564 |
| Patrick | + 44 1624 803031 |
| Peel | + 44 1624 842341 |
| Port Erin | + 44 1624 832298 |
| Port St Mary | + 44 1624 832101 |
| Ramsey (inc. Lezayre) | + 44 1624 810100 |
| Santon | + 44 1624 342090 |
Further advice and guidance
Various guidance documents and leaflets on how you can agree a solution about problem tree(s) and high hedges, can be obtained via the guidance documents - see downloadable documents.
A copy of a sample complaint form and complaints questionnaire, along with guidance notes on how to complete the complaint form are also in the downloadable documents area.
Should the dispute not have been resolved, despite having taken the steps set out in the various guides and leaflets referred to above, then you may wish to take your complaint to your Local Authority. Please note that you will be required to pay £150 for your complaint to be investigated.
Guidance for Local Authority Officers – Trees and High Hedges Act 2005
Guidance for Local Authority Officers in dealing with tree and high hedge complaints can be found within the document entitled 'Guidance for Department or Local Authority Officers – Trees and High Hedges', - see downloadable documents.
