Council Owned Trees
Policy
Bracknell Forest Council is proud of the many trees that adorn its roads and open spaces and our residents prefer to live in a leafy and green environment. However, trees being living, growing organisms and some have certain characteristics that are not always compatible with the expectations of some of our resident’s. The Council's Tree Service is responsible for keeping them in a healthy and safe condition so that they do not cause any legal nuisance; such as branches obstructing footpaths or roads, touching/damaging buildings or obscuring street-lamps and road-signs. In this respect the Council has an obligation to inspect and ensure work is carried-out to abate legal nuisance and so provides the resources to carryout this necessary work.
There are certain requests and complaints to which the Tree Service is unable to respond to. These matters are explained below and links are provided for you to obtain further information:
- Loss of Light
- Honeydew
- Tree Debris
- Bird fouling
- Satellite/TV Reception
- Highway surface disrupted
- Pollen and Allergies
Loss of Light
A person’s tolerance of shade or their need for light (daylight or direct sunlight) is a subjective and personal matter and whilst some people prefer shade there are those that have a desire for sunlight. Many people are aware of the ancient and prescriptive ‘right-to-light’, but this only relates to loss of light over a considerable period of time and in certain specific circumstances. Where trees are concerned, there is no ‘right-to-light’. The tree owner is not required or obliged in respect of any law to prune the tree for the benefit of his neighbour’s level of light. The only exception might be under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act where the trees are assessed and shown to fall within the definition of a ‘high-hedge’. If you believe this to be the case, please contact Environmental Health. For further information please visit the Government's website, Communities and Local Government
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Honeydew
‘Honeydew’ is a sticky substance that is produced by aphids (small insects) that feed on the leaves of trees - it’s a form of ‘tree-sugar’ and this is why it’s sticky. Heavy infestations of these insects can create a lot of honeydew to fall onto anything directly underneath or nearby (the slightest breeze can cause it to drift on the wind).
There is no practical treatment to the tree to prevent the honeydew; even the use of pesticides is ineffective as the aphids live underneath the leaves and it would require so much to be applied as to be a public health hazard.
The council is not obliged to clean the honeydew from adjoining property and it is not a service it provides. Residents should consider what practical measures they could use on their land to deal with the situation – such as routine washing/cleaning and garaging, covering their car or even finding alternative parking arrangements.
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Tree Debris
With regard to problems such as falling leaves, fruit and cones from trees, there is little the council can do, as this is a natural process and not one the British legal system recognises as a ‘legal nuisance’.
Enquiries of this nature should in the first instance be made to Bracknell Forest Borough Council customer services on 01344 352000 detailing the problem. Alternatively reports can be made online within Street Cleansing on this website.
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Bird fouling
Trees do provide a wildlife habitat and structure for birds to nest in and perch on. If you are troubled by bird-droppings, pruning the tree is not the solution, as the birds will continue to sit in the pruned tree and foul the parked car, pavement or driveway underneath. Healthy and attractive trees in our environment are considered an asset and their as long as their appropriate management is consistant with our Tree and Woodland policy and our service standards, this complaint is insufficient justification for its pruning or removal.
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Satellite/TV Reception
Routine pruning normally alleviates residents concerns about trees casting shade or branches obstructing streetlights; however it is unlikely to provide a solution to signal interference to satellite-television dishes. When you buy a television license it allows you to operate any equipment to receive a transmission; it is not a guarantee of any television reception, let alone a perfect reception.
Ordinary televisions (terrestrial) operate in a way that will allow for a degree of variation in the reception and that will still allow a viewable image on the screen. However, satellite-television requires the ‘dish’ to have a clear line of sight at the broadcasted signal. Even small obstructions such as a single branch of a tree (or a Highway traffic sign, high building, etc.) will prevent adequate signal getting to the satellite-dish. The council (or indeed any tree owner) is not required to remove or even prune them for the benefit of television reception. Such action would have an immense impact on the environment, affecting visual amenity, air quality and public health as well as being contrary to existing tree management policy. To expect the council to take responsibility for the quality of television reception is unrealistic and unsustainable, as there is no basis in law or policy for that expectation.
Other sources of information and advice can be obtained from the following links:
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/
- http://www.aie.org.uk
(select ‘TV’ under 'Categories') - http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static
/reception_advice/faqs/index.asp.html
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Highway surface disrupted
As trees grow they can affect the structural integrity of the pavement surface through expanding roots and may become a potential trip hazard. To ensure that the pavements are maintained in a safe condition all footpaths throughout the Borough are inspected regularly and assessments are made regarding their condition. Any safety defects identified are then included in a programme for repair.
Service enquiries should in the first instance be made to Bracknell Forest Borough Council customer services on 01344 352000 detailing the problem. Alternatively reports can be made online from the Street Maintenance pages.
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Pollen and Allergies
All vegetation produces pollen as part of its life cycle. Everything from grass to trees can have an effect on those members of our community who suffer from sensitivity to pollen. Whilst over 90% of hay-fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen which is prevalent throughout the summer, only 25% of sufferers are sensitive to Birch which is produced for a much shorter period of time.
As this is a natural and seasonal process and not one the British legal system recognises as a ‘legal nuisance’, there is nothing the council can do to alleviate the symptoms and effects on residents. You may find the following websites helpful:
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