Trees

About the Arboricultural Service

The Arboricultural Service consists of specialised officers known as Arboriculturists. They are responsible for managing thousands of trees in our parks and open spaces.

The service assists with the management of over 12,000 street trees and over 500 hectares of woodland in and around Brighton & Hove.

You can find out about:

• how we manage trees in the city, and information about the Arboricultural Service, tree pruning or high hedges
• Tree Preservation Orders, find out if a tree is protected and get information about working on trees with Tree Preservation Orders or trees within conservation areas
• what the service is doing to protect its internationally renowned National Elm collection from Elm disease
• making a tree donation to one of our parks
• which trees flower throughout the year for different seasons
• the BrownTail Moth and the potentially harmful caterpillars
• what to do about privately owned trees

If you have an emergency involving a tree, send an email to arboriculture@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Storm damage and tree pruning

Stormy weather over the last few years led to us prioritising hazardous trees and other issues. This has had a knock-on effect of reducing the number of street trees pruned. This has also delayed pre-scheduled and proactive work by about a year.

Brighton & Hove has an estimated collection of 12,000 street trees which receive health and safety inspections every 3 to 4 years. We check for Elm disease and dead trees annually and act quickly to help prevent Elm beetle infestations and infections.

Highway trees are subject to statutory work which requires the removal of obstructions such as the clearance of basal growths and low branches. This allows for the free passage of pedestrians and vehicles.

How we manage ash dieback

Visit our ash dieback page to find out:

• how ash dieback affects our ash trees
• how we manage ash dieback
• what area we're currently working on