Trees, Shrubs and Weeds

Trees and hedges are dealt with by different council sections, depending on where the issue is.

Trees and shrubs within our cemeteries and beds maintained by us. If you want to report an issue with a tree in a park or cemetery, please email us to let us know. Shrubs are scheduled to be pruned once per year, this normally happens between October and March. We sometimes undertake work in cemeteries when shrubs are encroaching on other plots or overgrowing the headstone, though this is in fact the responsibility of the lair owner.

If you want to report a problem with a tree or vegetation that is encroaching over a pavement or public road, fill out this e-form and our Roads Maintenance department will investigate. Alternatively, if the tree is in a council house garden, it should be reported to our housing section. High hedges and tree preservation orders are the responsibility of our planning department.

Weeds

Weed spraying on our streets is carried out twice per year. The first spray is scheduled to take place before the end of June, with this second spray planned before August. Selective weed-killing is not routinely carried out on grassed areas.

The active ingredient in the chemical used for weed spraying is called glyphosate, which is absorbed through the leaves and travels through the whole plant down to the roots, killing it from within. Because this chemical is absorbed through the leaves, it is important that the weed has lots of foliage and this may be misinterpreted as being unkempt, but this is not the case.

Please note that weather conditions can also dictate when weed spraying can be carried out, and this may impact on our planned dates.

If you have an issue with weeds growing on private land, you should seek advice from the enforcer of the Weeds Act, which is SGRPID. The five weeds covered in this Act are broad Leaved Dock, Curled Dock, Creeping Thistle, Ragwort and Spear Thistle. You can contact the local SGRPID office by email or by calling 01343 569500.

Weeds growing on road verges should be reported to us, and our Roads Maintenance team will investigate and carry out any necessary work.