If you are having issues with trees, hedges and leaves
Pruning trees
If you are a Council tenant and you would like some trees pruned in your garden you will need to contact your local Neighbourhood Officer for your ward on 0300 123 6633.
If a Tree Works Request Form needs completed, the housing staff will complete one for you over the phone.
The Tree Team will then process the form and carry out an inspection of the tree(s) in question. Any work required will be categorised into High, Medium and Low priorities depending upon a range of issues such as whether the tree(s) are healthy, obstructing pathways or access to the house or the tree is diseased or is dead.
High priority work may be completed the same day or within five days depending upon the urgency. Medium and Low priority work could take considerably longer with Low priorities perhaps taking up to two years to complete.
The reasons for this are that there is a limited budget and obviously dead, diseased or imminently dangerous tree must be worked upon before those of a lower priority.
Why we don't prune our trees more often
Most trees do not take kindly to heavy pruning and the Council's Tree Policy follows the current British Standards for tree works and Best Practice.
Highway trees are pruned on average every five to seven years. To prune more often can stress the trees and leave them susceptible to disease or can trigger off the growth of bushy shoots all over the stem and branches which will increase the trees density, shade area and possibly reduce visibility on roads.
Trees shedding fruit, berries, seeds, leaves, bark, twigs, honeydew from greenfly on cars / paths
All trees shed small parts, flowers, fruit, twigs and leaves at various times of the year. Residents should expect this if they live near trees. Certain species of trees are hosts to pests such as greenfly, and during the summer their presence can be a nuisance.
Under exceptional circumstances where a problem is so severe as to be unreasonable, the tree may be pruned in order to reduce the problem, but only where there is a major infestation or acute problem causing a risk to the residents' health, will the removal of the tree be considered.
Where a tree is removed under such circumstances, a replacement tree will be planted in a nearby location during the following planting season.