Help! Does Anybody Know What Tree This Is?

We have recently purchased a home in North West London. The garden needs a lot of work on it. This is a daunting task for a newbie such as me!!!. Our neighbours have planted this tree in their back garden. I am no expert, so does anybody know what tree this is? I would have asked our neighbours but they appear to be away as expatiates.

North London does have clay soil so will this tree cause subsidence? What is a safe planting distance from the house?

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner HouseGardner. I think the tree is probably a cherry 'Prunus'. It's been there some years as the stems are quite mature and at some point it's been heavily pruned.

It's unlikely the tree will cause subsidence as it's already established it's root system. With most trees the root spread is usually similar to the height of the tree but there are exceptions like Willows and Conifers, these are the trees that will cause damage to house foundations.