Our responsibilities for trees
We manage council-owned trees on highways and open spaces. We also manage notices about trees in conservation areas and help make decisions on planning applications and planning conditions for developments that may affect trees.
Our responsibilities include:
- creating and enforcing Tree Preservation Orders
- managing works to trees in conservation areas
- helping with applications for works to trees
- inspecting trees on the highway, in the council parks and open spaces twice a year and pruning branches to keep them from obstructing roads, footpaths or grass verges
- replacing any tree that is removed
- considering your requests to have trees planted on council owned land
- cutting trees down to ground level in the woods near your home to manage woodlands.
We will prune Medway Council owned trees to industry standard if:
- the branches are brushing on the roof or gutter of your house
- squirrels are climbing from the tree to your roof.
We will not prune a tree that:
- is interrupting your television reception
- is causing an issue with leaves, fruit and seeds falling as this is a seasonal problem
- is leaving your garden sticky with honeydew as this isn’t solved by pruning or insecticide
- has birds roosting in it, pruning the branches won’t stop the birds roosting in it.
Before you plant a tree, you should consider:
- the size that the tree will grow to
- if the tree will block out light or interrupt television signal.