Inspections and maintenance
As part of our safety and service inspections, we also inspect trees that fall into the boundary area. These inspections include checking for gale damage, broken or overhanging limbs and unstable or leaning trunks.
If a tree growing off the highway requires urgent attention in the interests of highways safety, we will take appropriate action and recover costs if applicable.
If a tree growing off the highway requires less urgent action, we will contact the owner or occupier and give them notice to take action themselves to rectify the situation within 28 days.
Additionally, any tree with a trunk greater than 300mm and within 25m of the highway will have its condition assessed using a Quantified Tree Risk Assessment.
Trees requiring work within the highway will be prioritised and programmed into the job sheet. We will request that owners carry out work on private trees identified as needing work.
Routine maintenance
As part of our routine inspections, we will identify any street lights and traffic signs where obstruction from trees and foliage is causing a safety risk. These trees and foliage will be trimmed back to allow lighting to function and signs to be legible.
We also trim back basal growth and pollard some trees in the urban environment on regular schedules to maintain the width and vertical clearance on footways, cycleways and roads.
Planned maintenance
Using the information, we plan and programme works to highways trees identified as requiring maintenance.
We recognise that significant pruning or felling of trees can cause considerable local concern, and works such as this will only ever be done with specialist advice and support.
In urban areas we coordinate a proactive management programme to prevent damage to highways and property.
In rural areas, works on highway trees is mostly reactive, other than for safety reasons.