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Payments unavailable on Tuesday 8 April, 9.30am-4.30pm

You will not be able to make any online payments on Tuesday 8 April, 9.30am-4.30pm while we carry out essential maintenance.

This will affect all online payments, including parking permits, parking tickets (PCNs), council tax and rent payments. You will also not be able to make payments using our automated payment line 020 7527 8000 or by calling 020 7527 2000.

If you need to make a payment, please try again after 4.30pm on Tuesday. We are sorry for any inconvenience while we carry out this essential work.

 

Trees icon

Tree policy

Our tree policy sets out our approach to looking after Islington’s trees to meet our duty of care, legal and health and safety obligations.

The following statements set out our tree policy, setting out clear statements to ensure that the council meets its duty of care, legal and health and safety obligations, whilst not exposing itself to any undue liability.

Overall policies

1. The council will manage trees to ensure that it meets it legal responsibilities, e.g. duty of care, health and safety.

2. All agents, partners and contractors of the council will be required to comply with these policies.

Planting policies

3. Council initiated planting should prioritise larger growing shade providing trees, scaling down to smaller ornamental trees where larger trees are not suitable. The council will establish a diversity of species to mitigate against pests and disease that can threaten entire species.

4. To strive for the provision of space for planting trees on development and privately owned sites, selecting species in accordance with policy 3.

Maintenance policies

5. The council will maintain all its trees ensuring works are to the "British Standards for Tree Work" - BS 3998.

6. The council will maintain highway trees on at least a three year cyclical basis to ensure its duty of care is maintained and that the highway remains unobstructed.

7. When undertaking highway works near to trees all operatives must adhere to the guidelines as set out in the Department For Transport's 'Roots and Routes: Guidelines on Highways Works and Trees'.

Protection policies

8. The council will enforce and prosecute where appropriate tree related contraventions and where appropriate apply the maximum penalty.

9. The council will seek compensation from any external organisation responsible for significant damage to or removal of any council owned tree(s) to the value as calculated by CAVAT.

10. On construction sites all work must be in accordance with BS 5837 2005 "Trees in relation to Construction" and that foundation details follow the recommendations of the National House Building Councils Practice Note 3 "Building Near Trees".

11. In the processing of planning applications to aim for retention of trees of high amenity/environmental value taking consideration of both their individual merit and their interaction as part of a group or broader landscape feature.

12. When the authority intends to make a tree preservation order (TPO) on a site it will endeavour to make a TPO incorporating all trees that are worthy of protection within the specific land parcel.

Subsidence policies

13. In order to protect the council's interests and speed up the processing of claims the council will manage and process subsidence claims for trees in accordance with the London Tree Officers Risk Limitation Strategy, as well as the Joint Mitigation Protocol where appropriate.

Felling and pruning policies

14. We will only fell trees for sound arboriculture such as:

  • dead, dying or dangerous
  • proven to be causing significant structural damage
  • considered by the Tree Service to be inappropriate species for the location.

Or:

  • when removal is required as part of an agreed management programme or as an overall improvement project. 

15. The following reasons will not constitute grounds for the pruning or removal of trees by the council:

  • interference with satellite dish TV reception
  • excessive leaf fall
  • where tree is perceived to be too large
  • obstruction of view
  • mess caused by insects or birds
  • problems associated with fruit
  • problems associated with pollen
  • healthy mature trees will not be removed to create space to plant new trees
  • someone is willing to pay for the removal and replacement of a tree
  • the perceived risk that it will cause subsidence in the future
  • causing disruption to pavements, kerbs, garden paths and walls. In these cases engineering solutions will be sought.

Judicious light pruning may be undertaken by the council on the following grounds:

  • overhanging neighbour's land
  • excessive blockage of light
  • to facilitate CCTV cameras.

16. Where trees are identified for removal, and the works are not emergency works, advance notices should be put on the tree.