UK Case Law Index

(Includes LGO Complaints and General Planning Appeals)

Cases involving Conservation Areas

• Smith v Oliver.   1985.      
• Prosecution at Wycombe Magistrates Court 2006

Cases involving Tree Roots

• Butler v. Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd. 1940.
• Catell v. Bedingfield. 1946.
• Couper v. Heinrich. 1949.
• Attfield v. Wilson. 1949.
• Niklaus v. Moont. 1950.
• Davis v. Artizans Estates Ltd. 1953.
• McCombe v. Read and Another. 1955.
• Brown v. Bateman. 1955.
• Jennings v. Taverner. 1955.
• Murray and Others v. Hutchinson. 1955.
• Watson and Roberts v. Smith and Wakeham. 1956.
• Davey v Harrow Urban District Council.   1957
• Mayer v. Deptford and Lewisham Borough Councils. 1959.
• Edge v. Briggs. 1960.
• Lemos v. Kennedy Leigh Developments Ltd. 1960.
• Wallace v. Clayton. 1961.
• Smith v. Leech Brian and Co Ltd. 1962
• Mills v. Smith, Sinclair third party. 1963.
• Pettifer v. Cheshunt Urban District Council. 1970.
• Daisley v. B.S. Hall & Co. 1972.
• King & another v. Taylor & others. 1976
• Bunclark & Others v. Hertfordshire County Council & Another. 1977
• Masters v. Brent London Borough. 1977
• Alcrest Ltd v. W.S. Hattrell & Partners and Another. 1979.
• Rigby and Another v. Sun Alliance & London Insurance Ltd. 1979.
• Bridges & Others v. Harrow London Borough. 1981
• Solloway v Hampshire County Council.   1981
• Russell & another v. London Borough of Barnet. 1984
• Greenwood  v. Portswood. 1985
• Patterson v. Humberside County Council. 1995
• Banque Bruxelles Lambert SA v. Eagle Star Co Ltd. 1995
• Kamenou (trading as Regency Developments) v. Dodson  1999
• Delaware Mansions Ltd and another v. Westminster City Council.   1999
• Joseph Dayani v. Bromley London Borough Council.  2001
• Loftus-Brigham and another v. London Borough of Ealing.   2003
• Perrin v Northampton 2006
• Perrin v Northampton  - Appeal  2007

Cases Involving Overhanging Branches

• Earl of Lonsdale v. Nelson and Others. November 1823.
• Lemmon v. Webb. 1894.
• Smith v. Giddy. 1904.
• Mills v. Brooker.  1919.
• Hale v. Hants & Dorset Motor Services and Another. 1947.
• British road services Ltd v. Slater and another. 1964.

Cases involving Poisonous Trees

• Wilson v. Newbury. 1871.
• Erskine v. Adeane. 1873.
• Lawrence v. Jenkins. 1873.
• Crowman v. Amersham Burial Board. 1878.
• Ponting v. Noakes. 1894.
• Cheater v. Cater. 1918.

Cases involving Dangerous Trees

• Hudson v. Bray. 1917.
• Bruce v. Caulfield. 1918.
• Noble v. Harrison. 1926.
• Mackie v. Western District Com of Dunbartonshire C.C. 1927.
• Stilwell v. New Windsor Corporation. 1932.
• Shirwell v. Hackwood Estates Ltd. 1938.
• Kent v Marquis of Bristol.    1940
• Cuncliffe v. Bankes.  1945
• Sheen v. Arden. 1945.
• Brown v. Harrison. 1947.
• Caminer and another v. Northern and London Investment Trust Ltd. 1951.
• Lambourne v. London Brick Company. 1950.
• Lane v. Tredagar Estate Trustees. 1954.
• White v. Carruthers. 1958.
• Quinn v. Scott and Another. 1964.
• Williams v. Devon County Council. 1966.
• Thomas v. Miller. 1970.
• Knight v. Hext and Others. 1979.
• Chapman v Barking & Dagenham London Borough Council.  1997.
• Joseph Dayani v. Bromley London Borough Council.  2001
• Poll v Bartholomew  2006
• Atkins v Scott 2008

Cases involving Tree Preservation Orders

• Edgeborough Building Co Ltd v. Woking Urban District Council. 1966.
• Attorney General v. Melville Construction Co Ltd. 1968.
• Barnet London Borough Council v. Eastern Electricity Board and Another. 1973.
• Beyers v. Secretary of State and Uttlesford D.C.    2000.
• Bullock v. Secretary of State for the Environment and Another. 1980.
• Maidstone Borough Council v. Mortimer. 1980.
• Bellcross Co Ltd v. Mid Bedfordshire District Council. 1987.
• Bell v. Canterbury City Council. 1988.
• Buckle v. Holderness Borough Council.
• Armitage v. South Oxfordshire District Council. 1998.  External summary only.
• J Mooney & West Lindsey DC. Lands Tribunal. 1999
• Christopher David Carter v. Eastbourne Borough Council. 2000.
• R v Test Valley Borough Council Ex P Anne and Anor (2001)
• Robinson v East Riding of Yorkshire Council and another (2002)
• Perrin v Northampton 2006

See also Local Ombudsmen Cases below

Cases involving Article 5 Certificates

• Beyers v. Secretary of State and Uttlesford D.C.    2000.

Other tree related cases

• Layfield v. Cowper. 1694.
• Whitty v. Lord Dillon. 1860.
• Honywood v. Honywood. 1874.
• Dashwood v. Magniac. 1891.
• Unin v. Hanson. 1891.
• Smith v. Smale. 1954.
• Richardson v. Jay. 1960.
• Molony and Others v. Knapton. 1966.
• George v. Reeves. 1969.

Miscellaneous cases

• JB Lindsay & M Lindsay  and Highways Agency. Lands Tribunal. 1991
• Rylands and Another v. Fletcher. 1868.
• Joseph Dayani v. Bromley London Borough Council.  2001

Local Government Ombudsmen (LGO)

• Development proposal involving felling of ancient oak tree - differing evaluations from tree experts - failure to consult the appropriate council officer. 1999.  Report 98/C/3652
• Failure to keep accurate and enforceable TPO's. Investigation into maladministration at Isle of Wight Council. 2003.  Report 01/B/15370
• Failure to condition the retention of a hedge.  Report 02/B/13675
• Consideration/neighbour amenity. Report 02/C/6932
• Council acted unreasonably when it imposed a Tree Preservation Order and failed to give proper consideration to objections before confirming the Order. Complaint No 03/C/09398.  25 August 2004
• Council failed to properly manage TPO notification procedure. Complaint No 05/C/1218.  25 Sept 2006.
• Memorial Tree Planting (2005-2006) . Read the Summary.
• Council failed to enforce landscaping conditions. Complaint No 05/C/13355.  14 May 2007.

Planning Appeals

• Appeal decision relating to refusal by a LPA to permit hedgerow removal.  Appeal no APP/HGW/07/304

If you are aware of any errors in the above listing or know of other cases involving tree's please send details.