Caring for Our Trees, Caring for Our Community

Trees are a valued part of our parish. They enhance the landscape, support wildlife, improve air quality, and contribute to the character and wellbeing of our community. The Parish Council is committed to managing its trees responsibly and transparently, in line with its adopted Tree Policy.

Our Duty of Care

As the owner or manager of trees on parish land, the Parish Council has a legal duty of care to ensure that trees are safe and well managed. While trees are living, natural features, they can pose risks if they become diseased, damaged, or structurally unsound. Professional tree surveys help us identify and manage these risks appropriately.

Why Professional Surveys Are Necessary

Tree management decisions can have long-term consequences for safety, the environment, and public confidence. For this reason, the Council commissions independent, qualified arboricultural professionals to carry out tree surveys. These surveys:

Provide expert, evidence-based assessments of tree health and condition

Identify potential risks to people, property, and highways

Recommend proportionate and appropriate management actions

Help avoid unnecessary or excessive tree works

Ensure decisions are defensible, consistent, and based on best practice

In Line With Our Adopted Tree Policy

The Parish Council’s Tree Policy sets out how trees should be protected, maintained, and, where necessary, managed or replaced. Professional surveys ensure that all decisions:

Are consistent with the adopted policy

Balance safety with environmental and amenity value

Comply with relevant legislation and national guidance

Are made in a fair, transparent, and accountable way

Protecting Trees as Well as People

Commissioning a professional survey does not mean that trees will automatically be cut back or removed. In many cases, surveys help confirm that trees are healthy and can be safely retained. Where works are recommended, they are intended to be the minimum necessary to manage risk while preserving the tree wherever possible.

Transparency and Accountability

Survey findings inform council decisions and are used to explain why particular actions are taken. This approach helps ensure that residents can be confident that tree management is:

Based on professional advice

Proportionate and justified

Focused on long-term stewardship of parish trees