Forums Forums Wirral Information Ask - Wiki Wirral Trees and applying to council to remove them

My garden has many mature trees in it. A couple of them are oaks. I do not like the idea of having any cut down and know that I have to apply to WBC for the permission to do anything to them.

Last week the bloke responsible for giving the okay came round and gave us the thumbs up to remove a huge lime tree (ugly tree anyway) However, when we asked him about one of the oak trees too, he just flatly refused to allow anything to be done.

Personally I feel that the oak tree is too top heavy as most of the foliage and branches from lower down the trunk have been removed (before we moved in) and the trunk is quite slender.

Although it wasn't too windy today, I was watching as it swayed in the breeze and in my opinion I feel that in a strong gust, with the tree being so out of balance and having a thin trunk it's a possibility it may snap and fall on the house.
Here's the hypothetical question. IF it did fall and damage our house, would we be able to sue the council and get them to pay for damage for not allowing us to cut it down, if we could prove that we'd previously mentioned it was not safe (quoting the health & safety crap they're always banging on about these days)

As I said, I'm loathed to have it cut down as it is a beautiful tree, but as nice as it is, I don't want it coming through the roof anytime soon!

Do you live in a council house.Or is it private as there is a company that is taking trees down in Prenton for elderly tenants the company is Amenity tree company.It may help that you Lived here before and that you have now come home to retire to U K.The council will pay for council tenants but not privatly owned

ok,
Elizabeth gets in touch with Amenity tree company,
tree company rings council, council say Elizabeth has already
been told she cant get them cut down. The end.
or..
Elizabeth rings tree company and pays them to chop down tree.
3 weeks later council man passes and notices no tree. He knocks on her door and Elizabeth says the tree fairy must of called in the night. Mr council man says please come visit us and you can pay a nice fine at the same time.
Or am I just taking too many meds again?

No, it's a private house and I will have to fork out and pay myself.
The question is, if I am refused permission to cut down an oak tree that I feel is unsafe and then it does fall down during a storm, could I then go back to the council and claim off them for the damage because of their negligence as I'd told them of the risk it posed?

Too many meds I'm thinking ! I know that no legit tree felling company will cut down a tree without me showing that I've had written permission.

The tree is unsafe in my opinion, council have already said I cannot touch it because it's an oak tree. I am not going to cut it down and risk a fine BUT if it falls after I've kept on telling them it is unsafe, is the damage it causes the responsibility of my insurance or the council for being negligent and not listening to my concerns?

I was wondering why Valli answered as his whole post was a waste of time. If you cant chop it down, you cant chop it down. So why recommend a firm that chops down trees, perhaps he`s the owner?

Have you got insurance.You will be covered by this if wind blows it down.Council tenants pay indirectly through their rents.Wirral council are so skint they have had to close essential services for Disabled people in Moreton cross.

Going back to your original question, I think any tree which falls of its own accord, without humans giving it a hand, is classed as an act of god. So, only your insurance MAY cover it. I`d check in the morning to be sure, but I doubt if you could get any money of the council :-(

Zipperclub Hi last time I Looked I was still female and no I am not a tree company.

Valli, A 1000 apologies, I dont know why just had you as a male. I must of lost my touch. Must be the change of life, if I ever had one lol

Do your trees have a Conservation order on them?
I thought that if not, you could do what you wanted with them.
The council seem to MAKE people cut trees and hedges if neighbours complain I've noticed in news reports usually.

Could it not be pruned?

make it less top heavy?

That's what I was thinking. You need to keep on top of tree maintenance, not when its too late and the tree is too big to do anything, or in danger of falling.

To quote Mr Bowman from the council "you cannot touch the oak tree in anyway at all"

So no, it can't be pruned.

We can't do anything to it at all, plus regarding tree maintenance, we've only had the house about 4 months so the previous owners are the ones who didn't take care of things unfortunately