Emergency Tree Work
Call-Outs for Fallen Trees and Branches: What UK Tree Owners Need to Know (and How We Can Help)
Storm season is coming, which means a spike in emergency call-outs for fallen trees and large limbs.
Before the wind picks up, here’s a clear, practical guide for tree owners (private homeowners, estates, commercial sites, and housing providers) on your responsibilities, how to reduce your legal exposure, and how Beechwood can help, both proactively and when you need urgent response.
Quick disclaimer: The notes below are general information for England & Wales, not legal advice. If in doubt, speak to your insurer and/or legal adviser.
Tree owner responsibilities (in plain English)
UK law places a duty of care on tree owners to take reasonable steps to keep people and property safe from foreseeable harm arising from your trees. In practice, this flows from common law negligence and is supported by legislation such as the Occupiers’ Liability Acts 1957 & 1984.
If your tree overhangs a highway, there are also powers under the Highways Act 1980 for the authority to require you to abate a danger.
What “reasonable steps” look like depends on context:
Location and usage (quiet back garden vs. busy road, school, or footpath)
Tree size, species, age, and obvious condition
Known defects or prior warnings (e.g., storm damage, fungal bodies, dieback)
Frequency of public access near the tree
Courts don’t expect perfection or guaranteed safety. They expect reasonable, proportionate management, and credible records to show it.
How to reduce your risk of prosecution or civil claims if a tree fails
You cannot make risk zero, but you can show you acted responsibly. Here’s what helps most:
a) Commission proportionate inspections by a competent person
Use a qualified arboriculturist (e.g., LANTRA Professional Tree Inspector, experienced AA Registered Consultant, or equivalent competence).
Set the inspection frequency to match the site risk (e.g., higher for highways, play areas, schools, car parks; lower for low-use areas).
Keep a defensible written report: date, assessor, method, observations, recommendations, and target completion dates.
b) Risk-based zoning
Map high-use zones (paths, entrances, roads, playgrounds).
Prioritise inspections and works where failure would have the biggest consequence.
c) Act on recommendations, and record it
Complete remedial works within the advised timeframes (e.g., deadwood removal, crown reduction, bracing, felling where justified).
Keep work orders, photos, and invoices. Good paperwork wins arguments.
d) Watch for triggers that demand re-inspection
Severe storms, visible new defects (cracks, heave, fungal fruiting bodies), construction in root zones, or significant pruning by third parties.
e) Respect other legal constraints
TPO/Conservation Area: Get permissions before works (we can manage this).
Wildlife: Avoid harm to nesting birds and bats, work to the Wildlife & Countryside Act and consult if you suspect roosts (we can arrange ecologists).
Utilities/Highways: Coordinate where trees affect public roads or services.
f) Insure appropriately
Check your policy covers storm damage and public liability, and understand notification requirements.
What Beechwood offers: inspections & tree-owner risk management
We help you prove you took reasonable steps, and reduce the chance of emergencies in the first place.
Professional Inspections
Visual Tree Assessments (VTA) by competent arborists
Prioritised recommendations with risk categories and timeframes
Cyclical inspection schedules matched to your site risk
Follow-up re-inspections after major weather events
Tree Risk Management Strategies
Site zoning and asset registers (simple spreadsheets or GIS-ready lists)
Maintenance plans with budgets and seasonal timelines
TPO/Conservation Area applications and liaison with councils
Ecology screening and ecologist attendance where needed
Resident and stakeholder comms (templates for notices and updates)
Remedial Works
Proportionate pruning to BS3998 recommendations
Deadwood removal, crown reductions, bracing, or felling where justified
Replanting plans to maintain canopy cover and amenity value
When the worst happens: our emergency response and clear-up
When a tree fails, speed and safety matter. Our 24/7 emergency service provides:
Rapid Make-Safe
Immediate triage and ETA; photos and what3words to pinpoint the scene
Chapter 8-compliant traffic management (two-way lights, closures, marshals)
MEWP access and sectional dismantling to protect buildings and utilities
Aerial rescue competence always on site when working at height
Full Site Clearance
Safe removal of fallen timber and debris; root plate/void assessment
Stump treatment or grinding (as appropriate)
Waste handled via licensed routes (biomass/composting/reuse)
Liaison & Documentation
Coordination with insurers, councils, highways, and utilities
Photo log “before/during/after,” waste transfer notes, and incident summary
Follow-up inspection of remaining trees to prevent repeat events
Peace of Mind Package
After an emergency, we can set up your tree risk register and inspection cycle so you’re covered going forward, proactive, not just reactive.
Proactive beats reactive (and helps keeping you out of court)
Most enforcement and civil actions hinge on one question: Could the owner show reasonable, proportionate management?
A modest spend on inspections and planned maintenance usually beats the cost, stress, and reputational damage of a major failure.
Make it easy: the simple process
Contact us with your site address and a brief outline of your trees/concerns.
We agree the right level of inspection and timescale.
You receive a clear, prioritised report and fixed-price proposal for any works.
We deliver to BS 3998 standards, with photos and paperwork for your records.
Optional: set up a cyclical inspection plan and annual review.
Ready before the storms hit?
Be proactive: book an inspection or request our emergency response details.
Beechwood Trees & Landscapes Ltd: inspections, risk management, and 24/7 call-out for complete peace of mind.
