Date received: 29 September 2022
Signatories received: 71
Name of petitioner: Mr D Leese
Petition response:
I refer to the petition, signed by local residents regarding the request for the removal or pollarding of the lime tree’s on Hillport Avenue. Receipt of the petition will be reported to County Councillor Hutton.
Our resource for highway tree maintenance is limited, and our priority is to address issues with trees which are dead, diseased or dying. Any other type of highway tree maintenance is subject to resource availability and in the event that ad hoc maintenance works are raised these will be given a category of priority in accordance with our routine and reactive inspection regime.
There are a variety of potential natural nuisances associated with trees, most of which are minor or seasonal and considered to be normal and acceptable consequences of living near trees. Examples of such problems are:
falling leaves, twigs, sap, blossom, fruit, nuts, bird and insect droppings, germinating seedlings in gardens, leaves falling into gutters, drains or onto flat roofs, the build-up of algae on fences, paths or other structures and trees affecting tv or radio signal reception.
These issues associated with trees can be an inconvenience they are not recognised as a legal nuisance and are not justification for the removal or pruning of a highway tree. Further information regarding trees may be found on the following web page Trees - Staffordshire County Council
If a resident suspects that the roots of a Staffordshire County Council tree are causing damage to their property, for example the foundations or private drainage, you must get evidence from a professional tree/property surveyor and submit any evidence with a Claim via the following web page which also provides additional information regarding claiming: Claims - Staffordshire County Council.
Any specific concerns where there may be property interference due to overhanging branches should be reported via Report It or the MyStaffs app.
Once this report has been received, an inspection of the tree will be arranged to confirm if it is necessary for pruning works to be carried out.
I also need to highlight at this point that in general the practice of pollarding is not undertaken on highway trees, although this was undertaken in the past, since this can adversely affect the health of the tree and introduce issues for the ongoing maintenance of a tree.
In the meantime, for further details on how the council prioritises these concerns, please view information within the ‘weeds, grass, trees and hedges’ section which can be found within the Highways pages of our website www.staffordshire.gov.uk.
Yours sincerely
David Greatbatch
Strategic Community Infrastructure Manager