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Tree and Woodland Strategy
 
Trees - frequently asked questions
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Tree management

 

 
Trees at Nowton Park Tree at the West Front, Bury St Edmunds Tree in rural St Edmundsbury
 

Tree cover is one of the borough's defining features and is a major factor in what makes St Edmundsbury such a fine place to live and work. In total, around ten percent (6500 hectares) of land within St Edmundsbury is covered by trees. By moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water, offering habitats for wildlife and conferring a sense of place and season, trees provide a range of benefits upon which our quality of life will continue to depend.

This critical environmental resource faces numerous challenges and conflicts that risk its gradual erosion and which need to be comprehensively addressed if it is to be sustained. These problems include: new development and competing infrastructure; climate change, storms and drought;disease, pollution, ignorance and neglect. When trees and habitation coincide, people's needs and expectations are often great and can make the management of trees intense and costly. Trees can be a genuine source of complaint in terms of their potential to cause damage and have been subject to dispute and legal recourse for centuries.

Trees within the borough are divided into two sections:

Borough maintained trees

Tree protection

The borough council is responsible for the maintenance of over 8000 individual trees and 135 hectares of woodland and tree belt located on borough owned land, along with the maintenance of almost 3500 highways trees.

These trees are the responsibility of the arboricultural section deal with trees in the following locations:

  • 335 hectares of formal parks and open spaces
  • ten closed church yards
  • three country parks at Nowton, West Stow and East Town
  • trees situated on highways maintained land within Bury St Edmunds
  • two cemeteries in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill

The arboricultural section received over 800 requests for service each year. Many of the requests include the following:

  • leaf and twig litter
  • overhanging branches
  • perceived danger due to the height of trees
  • root growth
  • shading of gardens

For enquires relating to St Edmundsbury Borough Council owned trees contact:

Arboricultural Officer
Parks department
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YU

Complete our online Tree Management Service enquiry form for a general enquiry about council owned or maintained trees only.

The borough council is responsible for the administration of 587 tree preservation orders (TPO's) and 35 conservation areas (CA).

The borough council deals with over 200 tree preservation order applications and conservation area notifications each year.

Tree protection is the responsibility of the Planning department and they deal with the following areas:

  • conservation areas
  • development sites
  • high hedges
  • Tree Preservation Orders

For enquires regarding the above contact:

Tree and Landscape Officer 
Planning and Economic Development Services
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YU

Phone: 01284 757336
Email: trees.planning@stedsbc.gov.uk

Visit the tree protection section for more information.

If you have a tree in a conservation area or protected with a tree preservation order and you wish to carry out works, complete the application form below.

 

 
PID 748