Trees
Trees are living organisms and as they grow bigger, or get old, or even damaged by the weather or disease, they may threaten personal safety, damage buildings, paths and roads or block out light.
Like most leading, environmentally aware organisations we recognise that healthy trees make a better environment and as such we actively avoid cutting down any of the 1000 trees on our land unless they are considered a health and safety risk or are structurally damaging property.
If you think that a tree owned by One Vision Housing is causing a problem due to any of the circumstances above, you can report the problem through our Call Centre on 0300 365 1111. We carry out a regular inspection regime using companies that employ competent arboculturists who are trained to map and carry out risk assessment of our trees.
Before you report the problem you may wish to check with Sefton Council on 0845 140 0845 to see if they are responsible for the tree. Many trees owned by Sefton Council will have small plastic identification discs. The following advice may also help you.
Overgrown or overhanging trees
Many complaints about trees end up with the request for a tree to be pruned or removed. After it has been established as to who owns the tree, and there is no preservation order on it, then we may consider pruning trees if they are:
- Overhanging roads (below 5.2 metres)
- Overhanging footpaths and/or signage
- Touching an adjacent structure
- Disturbing sight lines
- Affecting stability of structures.
Removal of trees
We will consider removal of trees if they are:
- Diseased
- Structurally unsafe
- Preventing access (when pruning will not suffice)
- Significantly damaged
- Potentially hazardous to health
- Dead
- Outgrown space allocated (when pruning will not suffice)
- Affecting the stability of structures.
Because of our commitment to environmental improvements we generally won’t carry out pruning or removal of trees because of any of the reasons below:
- Blocking out sunlight
- Too large/ tall
- Dropping leaves in gardens
- Sap falling onto paths or cars
- Overhanging gardens
- Affecting T.V. reception
- Fruit falling from tree
Want to know more? Download our tree policy for more information.
