Tree Management

Three Rivers District Council currently own over 240 hectares of woodland on sites from large Local Nature Reserve sites such as Oxhey Woods to small pockets of woodland adjacent to residential areas.

They work only on dead, dying and dangerous trees.  The 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 (TPO's) or are within Conservation Areas are protected under the Town and Country Planning Act 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 public open spaces are also protected as they are deemed as Council Property. Anyone wilfully damaging these can be prosecuted.

TPOs can be placed on any tree that has amenity value. Trees that are exempt from TPOs are those that are dead, dying, diseased or dangerous and fruit trees grown for the commercial production of fruit.  TPOs prohibits the cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, wilful damage or wilful destruction of trees without the Council's consent.

The Department for Communities and Local Government website has a guide to the law and best practise on Tree Preservation Orders.

Three Year Tree Cyclical Program

Parks & Open spaces including Woodlands will have annual tree public safety surveys with timescales given for the tree works.  The appropriate works will then be assigned to each surveyed tree.  Currently we aim to survey all the Three Rivers District Council tree stock every three years by their Wards. 







Once a public safety need has been identified the appropriate works will then be assigned to each surveyed tree. Tree cover throughout Three Rivers District Council will be maintained by annual tree planting in the dormant months together with a three year aftercare maintenance program to establish the newly planted trees. 

The tree works schedules will then be implemented and completed for each Ward every three years.

Cyclical Works Schedule 2010-11

April-Aug 2010	Sep-Mar 2010-11
Oxhey Hall	Carpenders Park
Hayling	Maple Cross
Northwick	Mill End
Ashridge	Penn

Some advice for private tree owners

• Always contact the Local Authority to ensure that the trees are not protected before carrying out work.
• 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 can be found in the Yellow Pages or contact us for further advice.

To establish whether a tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order, or to apply for permission to work on a protected tree, contact the Customer Services Centre on 01923 776611 or e-mail enquiries@threerivers.gov.uk

 

Management of trees in parks and open spaces

The Council is currently in the process of surveying all of its tree stock and once the initial survey is complete, each tree will be resurveyed regularly as appropriate to its age, health and position. It will then continue to manage trees as appropriate as part of a rolling programme.

Further information on this and TPO's and management of parks and open spaces can be viewed or downloaded below: