Find information about how we deal with common issues with council trees.
Council trees will not be pruned to specifically address light issues affecting properties however maintenance work conducted to Council trees will usually alleviate the impact of this when carried out for other reasons.
Our trees are often reduced in size when pruned as part of canopy reduction works to maintain a form and balance suitable for the location and sometimes in response to issues identified during tree inspections. However, we do not maintain Council trees to be below any height limit due to proximity to properties or structures.
Honeydew (aphid excreta) and bird droppings are a natural consequence of introducing trees into urban environments and therefore does not justify the removal or pruning of a tree. Residents can manage this problem through regular car washing, covering their cars or parking in alternative locations and exercising a common law right to remove overhanging vegetation across property boundaries (from within their properties only and not beyond the property boundary), where possible.
If you wish to report a potential hazard, you can request an inspection from the Highways Team, who will evaluate the area for any defects at investigation level.
Find out more on our pavement and road repairs page.
Seasonal leaf and/or fruit fall should be expected and is not a reason to require pruning or removal of trees. If the leaf fall is on the highway/street, you may request a clearance.
Report a problem that needs clearing
However, any leaf drop within property boundaries will be the responsibility of the private property owner to clear as Brighton and Hove City Council does not have the resources to carry this out.
Our current policy regarding parks and woodland trees which border boundaries with private properties is to let them to grow naturally, where space allows, to achieve the maximum benefits trees provide for the city. Remedial tree works may be carried out following a safety inspection, if deemed necessary.
Under common law, provided the trees are not covered by a tree preservation order or are in a conservation area, residents may prune back any overhanging branches to their boundary, as long as it is not to the ultimate detriment of tree,. For example, poor pruning leading to damage, decline, tree safety concerns, or death.
Such works must be carried out from within the property boundary. Pruning cuts must not occur beyond the property boundary into council land as this would become trespass, nor should the height of the tree be reduced.
There is a limited budget for removing stumps and replanting on the highway, which includes costs associated with repairing highway disturbance from root growth, we are currently not able to replant in the same year that we remove trees. All tree removals are recorded on our database and once funding becomes available for any given year, we will replant viable sites selected on considerations such as age of stump, location and the level of impact of stumps to adjacent footways.
If you wish to assist with raising funding for new trees on your street, then Plant Your Postcode can assist with the process.
You should note that the cost for removing a large stump on the highway can be prohibitive for residents to fund. This is due to the cost of works required to repair the disturbance to the surrounding highway from root growth, and the need to construct a new tree pit for planting into. Removal of the existing stump, reinstatement of the disturbance to the highway, and the construction of a new tree pit typically ranges from £3,000 to £7,000 currently, depending on the extent of the repairs required.
Due the prevalence of elm trees within our city, low tree growth (from within the tree pit, or lower stem) can grow at a significant rate due to the fast-growing nature of elm but is also present on other tree species. This can often obstruct pavements or the highway. Our team are aware that this can cause inconvenience and work to clear obstructions before they become a problem. A programme of large scale tree pit clearance works will continue this summer for those trees in located footways which will include the removal of low growth and weeds.
You may report instances where the growth is particularly problematic to our arboriculture service. A photo of the growth and if possible, an address to locate the issue.
We have an inspection programme regime for our trees delivered by our team of tree officers which dictates when any tree or group of trees are pruned or not pruned following inspection.
Many trees across the city require pruning, due to their proximity to buildings or structures for example, or to address any issues upon inspection. However, a significant number of trees do not need regular pruning. Upon an inspection on any given tree, our officers may recommend actions such as deadwood removal, canopy reduction, trimming of low branches, or in certain cases, complete removal if public safety is compromised. Until those inspections are conducted and the work is issued, we are unable to confirm when any specific tree will receive work.
We are working on an online public portal for residents to check this independently to improve access to the information we hold.
However, until that goes live, please request information via email.
If you would like to raise concerns about a tree within a Council property, please contact the our council housing team.