Leave tree work to the council

If you have any issues regarding trees on a public open space then you must contact Herefordshire Council's parks, countryside and leisure development service as taking matters into your own hands could mean you face prosecution for criminal damage.

The parks team is responsible for the management of these 'amenity' trees on the streets and the council-owned parks and open spaces throughout the county. They employ specialist arboricultural contractors to carry out regular tree safety surveys and arrange for any necessary tree surgery to take place, ensuring both the safety of the public, and where possible, the life of the tree.

Many problems arise each year when trees are mindlessly vandalised and when members of the public take matters of tree removal into their own hands.

The parks team dealt with such an incident in early January when a member of the public decided to cut down a 40ft willow tree on open space on Ledbury Road in Hereford. Thanks to calls from local residents a parks officer managed to catch the individual at work and he was later prosecuted for criminal damage and fined £80.

Geof Tarring, parks manager said: "If you have a query about a tree on public land please contact us and we will decide what course of action to take. However the council has got an amenity tree policy and in most cases we put the interests of the tree first - 'nuisance' caused by leaf and seed fall or blocking light into an adjacent property would not be considered a sufficient reason to undertake the felling of an amenity tree."

It is the council's view that trees make an important contribution to local amenities and landscapes and that they provide and important role in pollution control and nature conservation. The parks, countryside and leisure development service remains committed to the protection of the natural environment and would wish to support the felling of amenity trees only in the event of exceptional circumstances.

If you have a query about an amenity tree or if you see any work being undertaken on a tree either on the street or on a public open space and you are uncertain as to whether this has been authorised by the council please get in touch, telephone 01432 260848 or email: parks@herefordshire.gov.uk