Trees

Trees

**Please note if your tree is not on council owned land please refer to tree works**

Trees may require pruning to keep them in a safe and healthy condition. Types of tree work vary depending on:

• Species characteristics
• Age
• Condition
• Location
• Past management 
• Nature of the issue.

Pruning will only normally be undertaken where one or more of the following conditions apply:

• There is a health and safety risk.
• To prevent physical damage to buildings.
• The work accords with the latest version of British Standard 3998.
• The work will not be harmful to the tree's public amenity value.
• The work is necessary to improve the growth of adjacent, better quality trees.

Report a miscellaneous tree issue on Council Land

Work on trees that pose a direct risk to health and safety is our priority and will be addressed before 'good neighbourly' issues (the pruning of overhanging trees etc.)

Examples of situations where tree pruning may be appropriate are outlined below:

• Trees in physical contact with buildings, fences and other infrastructure.
• Trees that obstruct or overhang the public highway or a public right of way.
• Trees causing a legal nuisance to an adjoining property.
• Trees obscuring traffic sight lines, access, CCTV, signage and street-lighting.
• Young trees which require pruning to improve crown shape and branch structure.
• Removal of hazards such as dead or diseased material, broken branches and storm damage to make a tree safe or to reshape and balance the crown.

If you would like to report a problem with a tree on our land, please fill in the online form or you can contact us.

Other common issues when close to properties:

Light:

Tree maintenance solely to improve the availability of light can be large commitment of time and resource and may not provide a sustainable solution. Therefore this will only be done in exceptional circumstances

Height:

There is no maximum height to which we allow our trees to reach. Wherever possible, our trees are left to reach their natural size and shape unless there is a risk to health and safety.

View:

We will not normally undertake tree works solely to improve the view from a property/area as the growth of trees cannot be legally regarded as a nuisance.

Sky/TV/Radio Reception:

There  is  no  legal  right  to  uninterrupted  television  or  other  reception. Pruning by ourselves will only be done if engineers have given no other solution, if it will not affect the health of the tree and if resources allow.

Seeds, Leaves and Fruit:

Leaves, seeds and fruit are carried on the wind and are largely out of our control. Therefore pruning work will not normally be carried out based solely on problems arising from their seasonal fall. The fall of leaves, seeds and fruit from trees can cause frustration, though it is widely accepted that this is an unavoidable problem.

Seasonal/Natural Phenomena:

We will not normally undertake work solely to alleviate problems caused by natural and/or seasonal phenomena - for example:

• Leaves, fruit, bird droppings, sap or blossom,
• Reduction or increase of moisture to gardens
• Leaves in gutters, drains or flat roofs
• Algae or moss on surfaces
• Allergies caused/exacerbated by trees
• Toxicity 

If you would like further information you can contact us.