Our trees

Managing our trees

Our tree maintenance leaflet explains:

  • how we manage our trees
  • how we deal with requests for our trees to be pruned or felled
  • work we won’t carry out
  • what you are allowed to do yourself

We are unable to deal with most issues or disputes involving privately owned trees.

Our guide about your rights and responsibilities introduces some key points of English law concerning tree disputes. It will point you in the right direction for further advice. It is not a full explanation of the law, so you should speak to a solicitor if you need further advice.

Tree risk management

Public safety is top priority for us. We use a system of calculating risk which informs our inspection program and helps us decide what we need to do to keep risk of harm from our trees to a reasonable level.

We prioritise safety surveys of trees in busier areas, such as highways, schools and parks. We will also respond as quickly as possible to reports of trees that pose a high risk of immediate or serious harm.

We may need to contact you to help us locate the tree. Please provide us with a contact number in your report.

If you make a request for tree works to be carried out to council owned and managed trees, we will assess the issue within 10 working days.

If an inspection is required, a site visit will be made. When we have decided what action to take, we will contact you.