Tree works management

We look after trees on land owned and managed by Walsall Council.

How we manage trees

Trees are important for wildlife, biodiversity and the local environment. We manage them using council policies and professional guidance. 

When deciding whether we need to take action, we consider:

• if there’s a safety risk
• the health and condition of the tree
• the tree's environmental value
• its impact on roads, pavements, signs and street lighting

We prioritise work where there is a clear risk to people or property.

How to tell us about problems with trees on council land

You can contact us to tell us about:

• damaged, diseased or dangerous trees
• fallen trees or branches
• low branches affecting roads, pavements or public spaces
• trees blocking road signs or street lighting
• tree-related damage claims

Damage caused by trees

Find out more about claiming for tree-related damage.

How to report similar problems

If the tree, hedge or other vegetation is on private land, please use our report overgrown vegetation form instead.

If you want to tell us about a problem with grass cutting and grounds maintenance on council land, you can use our report a problem with grass cutting form.

How we deal with requests to prune or remove trees

We will not normally carry out work for:

Natural tree issues

We will not normally prune trees to:

• reduce falling leaves, seeds or fruit
• solve problems caused by honeydew
• control nuisance caused by wildlife

Drainage complaints

We aim to make sure drains are watertight to prevent problems. Because of this, we will not normally carry out work to council-managed trees because they are believed to be blocking drains.

We may consider work in some circumstances:

Property damage

We will consider individual cases of:

• tree-related subsidence (with supporting evidence)
• direct root damage

Loss of daylight

We will only consider work if:

• the nearest habitable room window is less than 6 metres from a tree over 12 metres tall, or less than half the tree's height from a smaller tree
• the edge of the canopy is less than 2 metres from a vertical line drawn upwards from that window

We may still decide not to carry out work if it would have a significant impact on the wider community.

TV and radio reception

We will only consider pruning a tree to improve signal reception if:

1. you have already tried other ways to fix the problem
2. the work follows good tree management practice and will not harm the tree or its appearance
3. the work can be carried out within our available budget

Apply for a tree works permit

Sometimes we cannot justify tree works because of higher priorities and limited resources.

If you would still like the works to be carried out, you may be able to arrange and pay for it yourself through one of our approved contractors.

For more information, contact us or download a tree works permit application form: