Trees

If the issue with a public tree is not urgent or an emergency, the council will conduct regular, cyclical, inspections and pruning in accordance with their legal, statutory, duty of care every 3-4 years.

Inspections:

Section	Frequency of inspections
Highways	Four yearly (see highways cyclical programme below)
Parks	Four yearly
Cemeteries	Four yearly
Allotments	Four yearly
Housing	Two yearly
Schools	Annual (for those schools who have bought into the inspection service)
Social services	As requested
Car parks	As requested

Tree works schedule (on a 4 yearly cycle):

The schedule below is accurate as from 21/05/2015, however this is subject to change where financial restrictions are applied.

2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20
Wandle Valley	Carshalton South & Clockhouse	Sutton Central	Wallington South	Worcester Park
Beddington South	Carshalton Central	Sutton West	Sutton South	Nonsuch
Sutton North	Belmont	St Helier	Wallington North	Wandle Valley
Cheam	Beddington North	Stonecot	The Wrythe	Beddington South

How we inspect

When inspecting the borough's tree stock, a qualified arboriculturalist conducts a detailed inspection of each tree, looking for any indication that the tree, in whole or in part, may be under stress.

Why we prune 

The significance of any visible, significant defects is are considered in relation to site usage and overall tree health. Pruning works are recommended to remove or minimise hazards and associated problems.

The London Borough of Sutton recommends pruning works with the overall aim of establishing a sustainable tree population that reflects the diverse interests and values that we place on trees whilst providing an overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risk.