Tree strategy and policy guidance

A common complaint made against trees is that they obstruct both sunlight and natural daylight.

This can be more of a problem with evergreen trees as they tend to be densely foliaged and continue to block light in the winter months when there are fewer hours of daylight and the sun is low.

Deciduous species not only lose their foliage in the winter but tend to include more lightly foliaged specimens and be more capable of being thinned or pruned.

The council gives careful consideration of the eventual height, spread and density of leaf cover, as well as the location of new plantings in relation to windows, and other features which should avoid problems in the future.

Existing problems can frequently be alleviated through arboricultural work such as selective branch removal or thinning of foliage.

The council will only consider carrying out this type of work where the loss of light is severe, such as where branches obstruct windows.

The expected impact of climate change, particularly in urban areas such as towns will mean trees that provide shade will be at a premium. In addition to shade trees are now welcomed as they provide a cooling mechanism that also reduces the urban heat island effect.