Working on Trees

Trees on Council Land

We won’t prune or fell a tree that’s on council land if it's:

• overhanging a property
• blocking someone's view, light, or shading solar panels
• dropping debris including leaves and flowers, onto someone's property
• interfering with someone's TV reception
• believe to be too tall
• believe to be causing subsidence

You can download our tree management policy for more details.

Trees overhanging someone's property

We will not prune or fell a tree that's under our ownership, or managed by us to prevent overhanging branches.

You have a common law right to cut back encroaching vegetation to the boundary of your property and to offer the cuttings back to us although we don't have to accept them.

Throwing the cuttings back over the boundary could constitute fly tipping.

Blocking someone's view, light, or shading solar panels

We will not prune or fell a tree that's under our ownership, or managed by us to:

• allow natural light into a property
• reduce interference with solar panels
• improve a view for a property

Allowing natural light

There is no automatic right to direct sunlight, only daylight.

Under current UK law, there is no general right to light in a garden, meaning you cannot demand that a neighbour's tree be cut back if it casts shade.

In some cases you can have a right to light but you must meet certain requirements.

You can get a right to light if:

• you have received 20 years of uninterrupted light
• the shade significantly interrupts your daily life, for example needing artificial light in the day to read
• the light within your living space is significantly reduced

Solar panels

We don't have a legal obligation to prune a tree to reduce or remove shade nuisance however we will investigate all solar panel shade enquiries on an individual basis.

It would be reasonable for us to consider requests to carry out work on trees which are restricting the efficiency of solar panels where the trees have been planted, or have self-seeded, after the panels have been installed.

Where solar panels have been installed in locations where the presence of existing trees restricts the light they receive, or have been installed in locations where pre-existing, immature, trees will grow up to restrict light levels, it would be unreasonable to expect us to remove or reduce these trees.

Dropping debris, including leaves or flowers onto someone's property

We will not prune or fell a tree that's under our ownership, or managed by us to stop or reduce leaf fall, Honeydew, or flowers. These issues are all seasonal and are  part of the natural cycle of trees and cannot be avoided by pruning.

Interfering with someone's TV reception

We will not prune or fell a tree that's under our ownership, or managed by us to prevent interference with TV or satellite installation or reception.

It may be possible for your satellite or TV provider to suggest an alternative solution to the problem, for example relocating the aerial or dish or a means to boost the signal.

If a tree is believed to be too tall

We will not prune or fell a tree that's under our ownership, or managed by us because it is considered to be too big, too tall, or if it hasn’t been pruned for some time.

If a tree is believe to be causing subsidence

If you suspect a council owned or managed tree is causing subsidence damage to a property we recommend you contact us and also alert insurers to discuss concerns and agree on an appropriate course of action.

Any claim will be investigated and, if it is proven the council’s trees is at fault, appropriate action will be taken.

Your rights to natural light

We will consider necessary work on a tree if you’re not receiving enough natural light, and:

• you’ve previously benefited from natural light in your property for 20 years or more
• the shade of a tree affects your daily life
• the natural light within your living space is significantly reduce