Trees
This page gives you information on trees that we are responsible for (trees on council land).
For trees not on council land please see the relevant section below.
View information on trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order, trees in Conservation Areas or high hedges.
Trees on council land
We have a tree policy which outlines our approach to the management and maintenance of trees on council land. View our tree policy for more information.
Report a tree issue
You can report issues with trees we are responsible for to us such as:
- dangerous trees
- damaged trees
- diseased trees
- dead trees
- over hanging branches
In addition to the programme of inspections we will respond to tree related service requests reported as dangerous within 2 working days. If you are reporting non urgent cases, then you should expect to be contacted within 5 working days.
Non urgent requests will be assessed against cost, resources, benefit and/ or detrimental impact to the tree as well as the council's responsibilities set out in the tree policy.
Tree inspections
We will categorise all of our trees into 1 of 3 zones depending on the risk. The zoning of the tree will dictate the inspection frequency as set out below.
| Risk category | Typical features | Inspection frequency |
|---|---|---|
| High risk | Trees close to main public areas, buildings (this will include some shelter belts, church yards and woodland edges, heavily trafficked roads, car parks, busy and frequently used footpaths, rail lines, picnic areas, play and recreational areas. | Every 15 months to ensure inspections are carried out at different times of the year. |
| Medium risk | Other roads, footpaths and bridleways in regular but not intensive public use, quieter areas of parks and open spaces. | Every 3 years (some trees will be informally checked more frequently by council staff who work close to or around trees on a day to day basis. They will report any concerns to the tree officer. |
| Low risk | Land away from paths or only lightly used. | Every 5 years, however trees within areas such as woodlands where no access or usage is present will not be formally inspected. |
All trees are potentially hazardous; however, the inspection programme can reasonably only address the conditions most likely to lead to injury or damage to people or property. These are the physical or physiological conditions that may lead to a breakup or collapse of a tree. It should, however, be noted that trees generally present a low risk.
Inspections are carried out by council officers who have undertaken suitable training and have the experience necessary to identify potential defects and suggest appropriate remedial action.
Different types of inspections may be carried out:
- formal - Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) from the ground by a qualified inspector
- informal - Walk/drive-by by either a qualified inspector or industry related employee (e.g. rangers) who work in and around council owned trees as part of their normal work duties
- detailed - More invasive specialist decay detection techniques used, written reports carried out by external professional contractor.
Trees not on council land
We are not responsible for trees that are not on council land. If the tree is next to the road or pavement and not within the boundary of a private property, then it is likely that Lancashire County Council (LCC) are responsible. If you have any concerns or issues with trees next to the road or pavement then please report a tree issue to LCC .
We do have powers to carry out work to trees on private land under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. These powers are only used in extreme circumstances where the tree poses an imminent danger to property or life. If you do notice a dangerous tree, then please report this to us.
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