Tree and woodland management policies and procedures

The Council will register an enquiry where it considers there to be a significant health and safety issue, legal obligation or actionable nuisance to persons or property or an incident relating to trees each categorised as follows:

Incident report or emergency call outs

• vandalism to trees, snapped trees, ring barked, fire damage
• storm damaged or fallen trees or branches
• dead, dying or dangerous trees
• vehicle accident, grass cutter damage
• actual damage to property caused by falling trees or branches

Tree work and tree inspection requests

• tree causing direct obstructions in public highway
• blocking public path, road access or driveway
• obstructing road sign or signals
• obstructing street lighting
• tree causing actual visible damage to property such as a wall, driveway or subsidence to house
• trees touching house, building or other structures that need cutting back

Tree advice (such as verbal advice by telephone or email)

• general legal advice about trees
• tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas 

Tree planting (verbal advice)

• memorial trees (complete application form)
• donations

Following inspection the Council will undertake work where it is deemed to require statutory or essential maintenance.  It may also consider undertaking tree work where, for example, it considers it is in-line with good arboricultural practice and/or long-term sustainable management and it will not detract from the future health and amenity value of the tree in question.

The Council is not obliged however, to take undertake work in response to requests that are considered non-statutory, non-essential, or contrary to good arboricultural practices, therefore in most cases the Council will decline any such requests.