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Portsmouth Tree Charter

A vision and charter for Portsmouth's trees.

Trees

We are committed to developing and improving the city's trees. There are in excess of 30,000 trees in Portsmouth, many of which are prime specimens from a wide variety of species.

Trees benefit the city as:

• they add great beauty and character to the city's landscape
• they absorb atmospheric pollutants thus purifying the air we breathe
• they provide a habitat for birds and other wildlife

These benefits all contribute towards making our city a better place in which to live, work and visit. In order for all these positive attributes to be fully realised, both in the short and long term, there is a need for proper management of the city's trees and a number of issues to address:

• Age profile - many areas of the city have a high number of over mature trees that will require replacing. In order to ensure the impact of the tree cover is not lost, a removal and replacement programme needs to be implemented.
• Inappropriate choice of trees for the location leading to potential problems such as property damage, severe light loss, leaf litter and Brown Tail Moth infestation.
• Reactive tree maintenance - prior to 1993 Portsmouth, like most other Councils, had no tree inventory or proper planned maintenance regime based on the needs of individual trees

 

Vision

We will seek to improve the quality, quantity and variety of the city's tree stock by implementing a long term management plan. This management plan will, wherever practicable, ensure a commitment to the residents and visitors of Portsmouth to enhance the city's trees and will:

• ensure public safety as its highest priority
• consult local residents prior to major tree works
• inspect mature trees on an annual basis, carry out any remedial works as necessary and log all data to build up a history of each tree
• continue with the proactive maintenance programme that is designed to ensure trees are pruned on a 4 yearly cycle. This will reduce the problems commonly encountered with trees in the urban environment such as light loss, leaf litter and low branches
• ensure all maintenance work is carried out to the relevant British Standards or current best practice guidelines
• introduce a risk management policy for trees in relation to buildings so that there are clear guidelines for dealing with subsidence claims relating to trees
• utilise the most modern available equipment to assist in the inspection and surveying of trees
• introduce a Geographic Information System to identify each tree on digital mapping
• wherever possible plant new trees as a replacement for trees which have been removed
• constantly seek out new planting sites
• plant species appropriate for the location with a view of attaining a balance between native and ornamental species
• provide limited free advice to the public on tree related matters
• provide details of proposed maintenance for the year ahead (storms make this difficult to adhere to)

In addition the city council will review all procedures on a regular basis to ensure they remain current and in keeping with the best practice guidelines.

 

Promotion

We will:

• provide maps identifying the major trees in city parks
• promote guided walks through the city's parks and open spaces and provide interpretation boards for educational use
• publish information leaflets on guided walks, pests and diseases that may affect trees in the city
• involve and establish partnerships with schools and voluntary and environmental groups to promote the importance of trees in the environment
• maximise funding opportunities, by way of grants and sponsorship, to enhance the environment
• provide a sponsored tree scheme that is flexible to encourage all sections of the community to participate
• promote the city council's recycling policy by ensuring all the green waste which arises from city council tree works are recycled
• provide free advice to groups or individuals on suitable species dependent on their location
• promote an awareness, understanding and appreciation of trees

 

How can you help?

The Arboricultural Officer is able to offer help to all individuals in choosing the correct species for the location. You can help by:

• keeping the Arboricultural Officer informed of all proposed planting
• assisting with the watering of newly planted trees adjacent to your own property
• suggesting new sites for tree planting
• supporting the council's Sponsored Tree Scheme
• reporting any damage to the city's tree stock

Associated documents:

  Portsmouth Tree Charter  (0.74 MB)