You are responsible for maintaining trees on your property and making sure they are safe. You can find a list of qualified tree surgeons on the Arboriculture Association’s website.

Before carrying out any work on a tree in your own garden, check whether the tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order or is in a conservation area.

The Council has a hedge and tree policy which states that unless a tree or hedge is causing an extreme hazard to the public, we have to give the land owner notice to carry out the work themselves which can take up to 10 weeks or longer in total.  Once this process is complete we will take appropriate action and recover any costs from the landowner.

Street lights and signs are not cleared of vegetation by the Council. If a tree or shrub on private property is covering a lamp column head, column base or sign then it is the property owners responsibility to cut back any overhanging tress or shrubbery.

It is a criminal offence to disturb an active nesting site. Most birds nest between 1 March to 1 of August, this is known as Bird Nesting Season. However this is only a guide and a visual survey should be carried out before any work commences.