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Tree Management

This page contains the following information:

Introduction
Advice for Private Tree Owners
Contact Information

Introduction

Hastings Borough Council is responsible for the efficient management of trees in Authority ownership within urban and rural environments.

The law protects certain individual and groups of trees. Those trees that have Tree Preservation Orders or are within Conservation Areas are protected under a range of legislation that makes it an offence to carry out any work on those trees without permission from the Local Authority.

Trees that grow in Council owned property or on public open spaces are also protected as they are deemed as Council Property. Anyone willfully damaging these can be prosecuted.

The Authority employs suitably qualified contractors who carry out all appropriate maintenance to the trees owned by the council.

Advice for private tree owners:

Always contact the Local Authority to ensure that the trees are not protected by a Tree Protection Order, planning constraints or that the tree is within a Conservation area.
Always employ a suitable trained professional Tree Surgeon, who is covered by Public Liability Insurance (always ask for proof).
Never employ house callers or leaflet droppers claiming to be professional tree surgeons. Reputable Tree Surgeons will always have some form of professional identification and qualification proof (always ask to see it).

Reputable Tree Surgeons can be found via the Arboricultural Association directories of approved contractors and consultants, www.trees.org.uk.