Grass cutting and landscape maintenance

We take pride in maintaining the grassed areas and landscaping on our estates. Grounds maintenance includes strimming, shrub pruning, weed control, litter picking and footpath clearance and will take place between March and October. 

This work may also include repair work to play equipment, footpath and ‘hard landscaping’ such as bollards, seating and raised flower beds.

We take pride in maintaining the grassed areas and landscaping on our estates.  The level of maintenance will vary according to the seasons of the year. 

Tree maintenance and management
Trees situated in a tenant's garden will remain the responsibility of the tenant.  If you are struggling to maintain trees in your garden, your Housing Officer can give you some guidance.

Trees located in our communal areas will be maintained in keeping with the council's internal policies. 

Tree repairs
Stroud District Council has a rolling programme of tree inspections allied with a remedial programme of work.

If you believe a tree on your housing estate is unsafe because it:

• has fallen over
• is causing an obstruction
• poses a risk of injury to a person or damage to a property

please report it to your Housing Officer.  We will arrange an engineer to attend within 24 hours to make safe.

What we will do
The council will inspect and carry out works to a tree if it is dead, diseased or dangerous.

What we won't do
There are different repairs to trees that we won’t carry out. These are:

• if the tree is causing a loss of light to your home or garden
• causing an obstruction to a view
• obstruction of utility cables (these are the responsibility of the service provider)
• minor or seasonal issues such as honeydew* (dripping sap), bird droppings, falling leaves/fruit/flowers
• effects on TV or mobile phone reception (a solution would be to reposition things like satellite dishes etc.)

We don't attend to trees which are in a tenant’s individual garden or where the property is privately owned or is a shared ownership property.

Pruning
If you have a tree that is overhanging into a neighbouring property, it will not be pruned unless there is a particular risk associated with the overhang. If you’re a property owner, you are legally entitled to cut back any branches overhanging their property as long as the tree is not subject to a tree preservation order.  The branches and any fruit on them which you may have cut down on your side still belong to the tree owner so they can ask you to return them. 

If you wish to report a tree for inspection or if you’re unsure, please contact your Housing Officer

*pruning a tree which host aphids with associated honeydew will only offer temporary relief and any re-growth is likely to be re-colonised by aphids.  Honeydew which drops onto cars can be removed using warm soapy water, particularly if the car is washed as soon as possible.

Street lighting
If a street light in your neighbourhood becomes defective and it is an adopted area, you will need to report it to Gloucestershire County Council.  Stroud District Council is not responsible for street lighting.