Trees frequently asked questions

Tree planting
Can I request a new tree to be planted outside my house?
Can I request a new tree to be planted outside another property on my street?
A tree has recently been removed, will it be replaced?

Tree inspections
The tree outside my house is overgrown. How often are street trees inspected?
I’m worried about the condition of a council street tree, what can I do?

Tree alleged to be causing damage, disruption or mess
A footpath has been damaged/disrupted by tree roots and is in need of repair. Who is responsible for the remedial work?
A tree outside my house is causing subsidence or damage to my property. What do I do?
The tree outside my property has falling fruit, leaves, bird mess and the footpath needs cleaning. Who do I report this to?
The tree outside my property has falling fruit, leaves, and mess from birds, which is affecting my property. Can I have the tree pruned or removed?
A tree is making a sticky mess on my car/garden. Can I have it pruned or removed?

Tree pruning/removal
Some of the trees around my house have been pruned very drastically compared to others. Why is this?
The pruning work has been done in the summer. This is the wrong time of year for pruning works. Will this damage the tree?
There is growth coming from the base/trunk of the trees in my road, can this be removed?
All the trees in my area have recently been pruned, but the one outside my house has been missed, can it be pruned?
A tree outside my house is blocking light into my property. Can it be pruned/removed?
Branches from one of the council's trees are touching my property. Can I have it pruned?
A council tree overhangs my boundary. Can I have it pruned?
A council tree is affecting my TV/satellite reception. Can I have the tree pruned or removed?

Trees in my garden
I live in a private property and have a tree in my garden. Can the council come and inspect or prune it?
A tree is overhanging into my private property from my neighbour's garden. How do I get it cut back?
I'm a housing tenant and have a tree on my property that needs pruning.
A tree that needs pruning overhangs and obstructs the public highway. What can I do?

Planning related matters
What can I do to get a tree protected?
What should I do if I have a protected tree (TPO) or live in a Conservation Area?

Tree planting

Can I request a new tree to be planted outside my house?
Yes. Individual requests for new trees will be considered for the planting programme, which runs from October to March each year. Please note: Not all sites will be suitable for a replacement tree, each location will be considered on its merits.

Can I request a new tree to be planted outside another property on my street?
No. If you feel that your immediate neighbourhood is lacking street trees, we may consider replacing previously removed trees in the same locations, providing they are still suitable.

A tree has recently been removed, will it be replaced?
Yes. Please note: The pit may be left fallow for a few years following tree removal.  Find more information on the tree planting page.

Tree inspections

The tree outside my house is overgrown. How often are street trees inspected?
All street trees are subject to an inspection and pruning programme every three years, on a ward-by-ward basis. Inspection and pruning requests outside of this programme will only be considered if the tree is:

I’m worried about the condition of a council street tree, what can I do?
If the tree outside your property or in your neighbouring area is showing signs of distress or poor health, please report this to customer services.  Some symptoms that you may notice are:

Tree alleged to be causing damage, disruption or mess

A footpath has been damaged/disrupted by tree roots and is in need of repair.  Who is responsible for the remedial work?
The highways are inspected every six months by a highway inspector who will address any problems in the surface as necessary.

A tree outside my house is causing subsidence or damage to my property. What do I do?
Contact your own building insurers.  An insurance surveyor will need to inspect the damage before you can claim. Claims of damage must be submitted in writing to:

The Insurance Section, 5th Floor, Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, Ealing W5 2HL.

If your insurance does not cover subsidence, or you are uninsured, you will need to complete a subsidence damage caused by tree roots form (word), and return it to the council for consideration.

The tree outside my property has falling fruit, leaves, bird mess and the footpath needs cleaning.  Who do I report this to?
The council does not remove or prune trees for any of these reasons. These are seasonal problems that pruning cannot resolve.

The council has a regular street cleansing schedule for council owned and maintained public highways. Problems can be reported online.

The tree outside my property has falling fruit, leaves, and mess from birds, which is affecting my property.  Can I have the tree pruned or removed?
No. The council is not under any obligation to prune or remove trees for these reasons.  They are all classed as naturally occurring ‘seasonal nuisances’, and the council cannot undertake any mitigating actions.

A tree is making a sticky mess on my car/garden.  Can I have it pruned or removed?
No. The council is under no obligation to carry out work on a tree for this specific reason.  The production of 'Honeydew' is a natural process resulting from aphid feeding on foliage. This cannot be stopped or effectively controlled.

Tree pruning/removal

Some of the trees around my house have been pruned very drastically compared to others, why is this?
The work that is undertaken to certain species of trees can look very drastic especially if done when the tree is in leaf.  The type and extent of the pruning is selected to be appropriate to the species of tree.  You may notice that trees of different species within the same road or area may be pruned differently.  As is common throughout London both Limes and London Planes are managed through crown reduction pruning, which is not detrimental to their general condition.

The pruning work has been done in the summer.  This is the wrong time of year for pruning works. Will this damage the tree?
There is no one correct time of year to prune all species of trees. Therefore, when managing such a large number of trees we are forced to spread maintenance across the year.  Most of the species planted in the street environment have been selected for their hardy characteristics and their ability to cope with urban pollution.

There is growth coming from the base/trunk of the trees in my road, can this be removed?
This type of growth is termed Basal Growth (BG).  The council runs a BG removal programme each year to remove this growth throughout the borough.  
 
All the trees in my area have recently been pruned, but the one outside my house has been missed, can it be pruned?
If all the (large) trees in the road have been pruned and only one has been left, providing it's the same kind of tree as the others in the road (large tree), it is likely that the work is still pending. It most probably will be that the contractor could not access the tree due to parked cars or other problems (e.g roadworks, nesting birds, etc.). The contractor will return to the site to complete the outstanding job as soon as is possible. Should this matter persist however, please contact customer services.

Please note: London Plane trees are not normally pruned when in leaf.

A tree outside my house is blocking light into my property. Can it be pruned/removed?
No. The council does not prune or remove trees for this specific reason.  Residents have no legal right to light as far as trees are concerned.  However, the council's three-year management programme may alleviate the situation.

Branches from one of the council’s trees are touching my property.  Can I have it pruned?
Yes. This problem should be reported to customer services.  The tree will then be inspected and any necessary pruning work will be undertaken.

A council tree overhangs my boundary. Can I have it pruned?
No. We do not undertake out of sequence inspection/pruning of tree(s) solely due to overhanging foliage. More information can be found on the overhanging vegetation page.

A council tree is affecting my TV/satellite reception.  Can I have the tree pruned or removed?
No. There is no legal right to TV/satellite reception and therefore the council is not obliged to prune or remove the tree for this reason.

Trees in my garden

I live in a private property and have a tree in my garden. Can the council come and inspect or prune it?
No. The council does not conduct inspections or tree pruning in residents’ private gardens. We recommend you seek advice from an independent arboricultural professional. A list of approved contractors is available from the Arboricultural Association website. Before any work is undertaken, check there are no Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) (pdf) on any trees, and that they are not in a Conservation Area. This information can be obtained from planning services.

A tree is overhanging into my private property from my neighbour's garden. How do I get it cut back?
You may ask the tree-owner to prune it back. Please note: They are not obliged to do so.  Find information on your common law rights on the overhanging vegetation page.

I'm a housing tenant and have a tree on my property that needs pruning.
Council housing tenants should contact their area housing manager who will decide whether the work needs to be undertaken. Contact details for Ealing Homes residents can be found on the Ealing Homes website.

A tree that needs pruning overhangs and obstructs the public highway. What can I do?
Overhanging trees and/or other vegetation from private property onto the highway are dealt with by highway inspectors enforcing the Highways Act (1980 as amended). Please report such matters to customer services who will forward the issue to highways enforcement for action.

Planning related matters

What can I do to get a tree protected?
If you think that a particular tree (or group of trees) is worthy of legal protection, details of should be submitted to planning services.  They should include the following:

What should I do if I have a protected tree (TPO) or live in a conservation area?
If you live within a Conservation Area (CA), and the tree/shrub has a stem diameter greater than 75mm (when measured at 1.5m from the ground) you must notify planning services of your proposed actions. Failure to do so may result in prosecution.  If the tree stands in a neighbouring property within a CA but your property does not, the same still applies.

If you have a tree(s) protected by Tree Preservation Order (TPO) you must apply for, and await written permission from planning services  to carry out any works. You may be refused permission if the applied for works are considered excessive or inappropriate. 

Find out how to apply to carry out works on a protected tree on the protected trees page.

In both scenarios, please consult planning services for further information.