Maintenance of trees in Lambeth
Trees on streets and in parks
Lambeth has 19,000 street trees and more than 15,000 trees in its parks. A skilled team is responsible for the routine inspection and maintenance of Lambeth's street and park trees.
All trees receive a regular health check and, if necessary, are pruned on a cyclical program which is carried out on a four-year basis. Each tree is recorded on the council's tree management database, listing among other things: location, species, size and condition.
If you think that a council-owned tree is in need of urgent maintenance or you have any other concerns, please contact us giving as much detail as possible, including location and size of the tree, and a member of our team will investigate your concern.
If you need to report an emergency, for example storm damage, or a tree has fallen or has a low hanging branch, please call our trees team on 020 7926 3542.
Trees on housing estates
We also inspect and maintain over 24,000 trees on housing estates throughout Lambeth.
Our tree officers inspect all trees that are on council-owned housing estates, where the tree is within a communal area which is used by more than one tenant. For example, trees in a communal front or rear garden, or trees on areas of communal open land surrounding individual housing blocks.
All trees receive necessary maintenance on a regular works cycle.
If you think that there is a tree that is in a communal area which needs urgent maintenance, contact the appropriate area housing office to report the tree concerned, providing as much detail as possible.
Our tree officers are not responsible for trees in either front or rear gardens that are allocated to a single property. For example, trees in either the front or rear garden of a council house are the responsibly of the tenant who has exclusive use of that garden.
Trees on red route main roads
Trees on certain main roads in Lambeth (also known as 'red routes' because of the red line markings along them), are managed by Transport for London.
Lambeth Council are not responsible for maintaining trees on red routes.
If you think that there is a tree that needs maintenance but it is on a red route main road, please contact Transport for London on 0343 222 1234 or submit an online enquiry with Transport for London.
Trees on private land
We're not responsible for any trees that are on non-council-owned or private land.
If you're experiencing problems with a neighbour’s tree, these problems must be taken up with your neighbour.
Some trees are legally protected by Tree Preservation Orders and also if they are within conservation areas.
If you proposed to fell or undertake works to a tree which is on private land it is advisable to check whether there are protections in place. For more information on protected trees, and the legal requirements, please visit our planning pages.
Protecting public trees on streets and in our open spaces
It's very important that you help us to look after the trees on our streets and in our parks, housing estates and public open spaces; after all, they are your trees and we like you want them to do well and prosper.
That means not doing anything to them which could cause harm or result in them failing to survive or dying. For instance, please do not attach or hang anything on any street, park or housing estate tree. This includes seemingly innocent things such as posters, banners, decorations, lights, swings or ropes (such as for climbing up, as tightropes or as 'flatlines'). These can all damage the tree's bark or bend branches and trunks, which not only makes it more vulnerable to disease, but can make the tree unstable or even kill it.
It also against the Lambeth Parks Byelaws to attach anything to a council tree without prior permission - only authorised council officers or contractors can attach items like notices for tree works, etc. Any unauthorised items attached to or hanging from public trees will be removed without notice and disposed of.