Trees
We maintain trees on public land, including parks, woodlands, and open spaces. Tree works are prioritised to ensure that public safety concerns are addressed. Any council-owned tree that is dangerous will be considered an emergency and dealt with straight away.
All Council owned trees are regularly surveyed following the Southampton’s Tree Operational Risk Management System and you can find out more information by looking at our STORMS policy document.
This ensures that trees are maintained in a safe condition and reduces the risk of failure. However, trees are living things and can be affected by weather conditions, therefore if you feel a tree has become an immediate hazard then please contact us.
If the tree is privately owned contact the landowner first. If the landowner refuses to act or you feel it is an emergency, for example the tree may fall imminently, call the council.
Report a tree in a dangerous condition
You can report a tree to us that you feel is an immediate hazard to life or property, such as:
- Fallen tree
- Newly Leaning tree
- Dead or diseased tree, please describe the suspected disease
- Broken branches about to fall
- New movement at the base of the tree
- Vandalised (pulled out/burnt)
We will ask you for information on the location and about how big the tree or branch is. We will also ask if the dangerous tree or branch is causing a hazard on a road, footpath or property.
If you are reporting a leaning tree please tell us when the tree started to lean and if you are able to see the tree roots coming out of the ground.
If you are reporting a dead or diseased tree, please tell us how the tree is dangerous, for example a section of a tree has split out.
Before you fill in this form
You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself up to five minutes to fill in the form.
Report a tree in a nuisance tree condition
If the tree does not pose an immediate hazard, you can request works to council owned trees to us. More information on the nuisance trees webpage.
Protected trees
If works are required to make a protected tree safe please complete the five days notice of works to a protected tree form so that the works can be assessed. The tree owner could face prosecution if they are deemed to have carried out works beyond making a protected tree safe.
Phone us
023 8083 3005 (option 5)
Office hours:
- Monday: 8.30am to 5pm
- Tuesday: 8.30am to 5pm
- Wednesday: 9am to 5pm
- Thursday: 8.30am to 5pm
- Friday: 8.30am to 4.30pm
- Closed bank holidays
Out of office hours: Monday to Friday 5pm to 8.30am and all day Saturday and Sunday - 023 8023 3344
Damage to your property
If you believe damage to your property, or injury, has been caused by a council owned tree as a result of negligence on the part of the council, please contact the council’s Risk and Insurance Team.
You can find out more information by looking at our Insurance claims against the council pages.
More information
