Recent wet weather has seen a number of trees being damaged in the District and Horsham District Council is reminding residents of who to contact in the event of damage to trees.  Extremely wet ground conditions can make trees more vulnerable to wind damage, particularly if they are already in a weakened condition as the result of disease.

The Council has an ongoing programme of inspections for all of the trees that it owns, which are located almost entirely within recreational land and public green spaces.  Parish councils are responsible for trees growing on land in their ownership, while the majority of trees growing on roadside verges are the responsibility of West Sussex County Council.

It is often the case that trees causing concern are growing on private land, and in these cases it is always the land owner who is responsible for them.  Unless a tree is deemed to be imminently hazardous, it is important to check that it is not listed as having a Tree Preservation Order, or growing within a conservation area, before carrying out any remedial work.

Contact the Council’s Planning team for advice on these such trees by emailing planning@horsham.gov.uk or call 01403 215515.

Other useful contacts are:
Horsham District Council’s Parks & Countryside team: parks@horsham.gov.uk / 01403 215255
West Sussex County Council’s Highways team: highways@westsussex.gov.uk / 01243 642105

Environment Agency Floodline: 0845 988 1188
Environment Agency Enquiries: 0800 807060

For further information about flooding in general, a useful guide can be found on Horsham District Council’s website (http://www.horsham.gov.uk/files/Flood_info_Jan_2014.pdf).