Trees, Woodlands and High Hedges

Bromsgrove District Council operates a tree service designed to ensure that tree cover in the District is properly maintained in both public and private areas.

The Extent of the Service

Help and general advice is available to residents of the District covering the following areas:-

• Responding to emergencies involving trees, especially in adverse weather.
• Dealing with works in relation to trees including those subject to Tree Preservation Orders and Planning Conditions and those in Conservation Areas.
• Considering complaints about high hedges under Section 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.
• Basic tree inspections to ascertain condition, type, age, vigour and health of a tree.
• Root inspections, where possible, to gauge likely effect on nearby buildings.
• Advice on species and planting conditions.
• Listing of tree surgeons regularly operating in the local area.
• The provision of leaflets and handouts giving more detailed help on tree matters.

Tree Preservation Orders

The Council is empowered under the Town and Country Planning legislation to protect the environment within the district by placing Tree Preservation Orders on trees and groups of trees where it is in the public interest to do so. The Council regularly makes such orders. It is an offence to carry out any work to protected trees without the formal consent of the Council. There can be substantial fines of up to £20,000 where the law is contravened. In order to carry out work to a tree protected by a TPO or a conservation area please complete an application form either online at the planning portal or paper forms can be requested from the Customer Service Centre on 01527 881288 or via email from trees@bromsgrove.gov.uk

To find out if a tree is protected, please complete the protected tree inquiry form below, in order that these queries are delt with quickly and efficiently we would ask that you include as much information as possible, including a location / sketch plan clearly showing the position of the tree(s) in relation to named properties and any roads. Please describe any works you wish to undertake to the tree(s) and identify the species where possible.

Conservation Areas

It should be noted that trees in Conservation Areas benefit from automatic protection and any work to trees which is being contemplated within such locations should be referred to the Council before any work is undertaken.

Protected tree enquiry form  (1.33 MB)

Tree Works Application / Notification form  (197.00 KB)

Guidance note for tree works  (1.40 MB)

Protected trees a guide to Tree Preservation Orders  (1.42 MB)

Local Tree Surgeons and Consutants  (57.50 KB)

* Please send all relevant forms to the address at the bottom of the page or e-mail to trees@bromsgrove.gov.uk *

For information on Tree Preservation Order Appeals, please refer to the Communities and Local Government website or click on the link below

Tree Preservation Order Appeals How the Process Works  (248.55 KB)

We are always willing to help discuss difficulties which arise involving protected trees.

People will, from time to time, want to undertake work on such trees, or to their property which could be damaging to adjacent trees. We would encourage individuals to contact us to see if suitable work can be agreed which removes/reduces a problem whilst ensuring the tree remains for the benefit of the public and the environment.

High Hedges

From 1st June 2005, the Council is able to consider complaints about high hedges under new powers provided by Section 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. The Council is only able to get involved as a last resort and you will have to demonstrate that you have already done everything you reasonably could to settle your dispute.

In addition, the Council is only able to consider complaints that fulfill all of the following criteria:

• The complaint is being made as a last resort and sufficient evidence has been provided to demonstrate this.
• The hedge is made up of a line of 2 or more evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs.
• The height of the hedge is more than 2 metres above ground level.
• The hedge is growing on land owned by someone else.
• The affected property is residential.
• The complainant is the owner or occupier of the property affected by the hedge.
• The complaint is purely in relation to problems directly caused by the height of the hedge.
• The correct fee of £500 for this service has been included. (or £200 for those receiving benefits).

Further information and publications regarding high hedges may be found on the website of Communites and Local Government

Contacts

Please contact the customer Service Centre on 01527 881288 where we will attempt to resolve straightforward tree enquiries, if your request cannot be dealt with by a customer service advisor your call will then be logged and passed onto the tree officers, you can also contact the tree service by email on  trees@bromsgrove.gov.uk or in writing at

Tree and Woodlands Sections
Bromsgrove District Council
The Council House
Burcot Lane
Bromsgrove
B60 1AA

Appointments can also be made to see a tree officer in person, please use one of the above methods to arrange an appointment

Answering your Enquiry

We will try to reply to your telephone calls as soon as possible. We are unable to guarantee how quickly we will investigate your enquiry. This will depend, in part, on the priority attached to it; that is, if a tree is a potential threat to life, we will give it immediate attention. Our response will also depend upon availability of staff and any other work priorities. However, we will try to deal with straightforward tree issues within 21 working days.