How do I agree on pruning an overhanging tree when my neighbour wants to keep its shape?
Neighbours“If you cut it straight along the fence, it will look like half a tree,” my neighbour said.
His apple tree reaches over the corner of my small garden in England. I want enough space to open the shed door fully and use the seat beside it. He offered to prune it himself in winter, but the door is catching against a low branch now. My first response was, “Then I'll just cut my side.”
Afterwards I read the [GOV.UK guidance on trees and boundaries](https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/high-hedges-trees-and-boundaries). It says overhanging branches can be trimmed only up to the boundary, and council permission may be needed for protected trees or trees in conservation areas. I haven't checked either possibility. I also don't know what amount of pruning would achieve the door clearance without damaging the tree.
He planted it with his father and is upset by my straight-line proposal. I hadn't known that history. I still need to use the shed, and waiting for his preferred season leaves the same problem for now.
Would it be reasonable to ask him to agree a small, properly assessed clearance job first, after the necessary checks, and discuss the larger shape separately?
