Tidying up after gale's problem

Well I went out today while it was dry and cleared the footpath of branches and twigs. Then I swept the drains clear too. As I was putting them in my bin, my neighbour went up her path and put her head down and avoided me. Normally she would say hello so I think she was feeling guilty. Not guilty enough to say thanks or help or get her husband and teenage son to help but there you go. It's done. I'm happy that it's cleared and tidy. My bucket is now full.

In some council areas in England there is “Fix My Street” that you can report such issues. How soon they come is another matter!

Lollin my grandsons would probably love the branches to play with!

Sounds a good idea grandmabatty . It takes our council months to fix street light bulbs but they regularly send out the noisy street cleaning and drain clearing lorry before rush hour.

The landlord may be grateful to know how many branches are down as the tree may be in need of a good prune or checkup to make sure it is still a healthy tree.

In the meantime maybe a free to dogs and children sign might encourage reuse. Seriously I do notice many dogs and children with branches/twigs bigger than themselves having fun.

Callistemon absolutely. However they clean the road once every month or so and never clean the pavements. It's very frustrating.

Really the Council should be clearing up anything that is landing in the road to avoid drains being blocked.
They ate also responsible for keeping pavements clear and safe for pedestrians but so many seem strapped for cash now.

The tenant should really keep the garden tidy but when it comes to something like a large tree which sheds regularly, the landlord should be made aware.

I've received some excellent advice on here but there are some posters who either haven't read the responses or gave misunderstood the issue. The detritus from this tree is on the pavement, not in my garden. I am happy to dispose of anything which ends up in my garden. It consists of a number of tangled masses of small branches and twigs. It doesn't consist of leaves. The masses block the pavement and gutter and make walking a challenge, and block the drains outside my driveway. In addition it looks unsightly. I am a big fan of a tidy environment. I live in Scotland which has had a number of storms this year already and this happens every time. I have to pay for a permit for garden waste to be uplifted by the council. My neighbour rents the property and does not pay for a garden permit. Of course I want to be neighbourly and I think I am but my original question was what should I do with the debris. I shall clear the pavement yet again and I'll have a word with the neighbour about the safety of the tree. I hope this clears up some points.

No Namsnanny cut off branches do NOT have to be given back to the owner of the tree. You have to offer them back but if the owner doesn’t want them you have to dispose of them.

AreWeThereYet

Putting your garden rubbish in someone else's garden is technically fly tipping, and an offence. Doesn't matter if it came off their tree.

If there is a public obstruction/nuisance talk to the Council.

If you cut off overhanging branches, they have to be given back to the owner of the property the tree is on.
I wonder why broken branches wouldn't be treated in the same way?

M0nica

We have a problem because our road runs west-east. and has a long earth bank, a scheduled monument running along it, which is lined with forest size trees.

The wide grass verges each side of the bank are completely unbroken until they reach our house where there is a brick garden wall between us an our eastern neighbour.

As with everywhere else in Britain the prevailing winds, especially in Autumn ar westerlys and they blow the leaves of these 20 or more huge trees down the road - until they reach the brick wall, where they collect - in our garden and the access road infront of it.

Every autumn I rake up all the leaves from the garden and access road. I probably fill 8-10 huge builders bages which DH and I take to the tip.

I often think how fortunate it is that my favourite gardening job is raking leaves - but even then it does become burdensome at times.

That is a lot of work M0nica🧹🍁🍂
Is there a neighbourhood website you could offer free leaf not quite mold?
People do love their gardens and a freebie.

Our immediate area has tree lined roads and I never thought of twigs and leaves as littering and messing our lawns or roads. I have been annoyed at the bits of rubbish that for some reason the wind always blows into our hedge trapping it but that’s the disadvantage of having a hedge.
It is possible that they don’t view nature’s debris as a nuisance. I know leaves can get slippery and a lot of twigs could possibly get in the way but when we talk about parents today not allowing their children the freedom of old days I find it odd to worry about the people walking outside not being able to cope and it must be the same in many areas. I can understand if they are not aware because when I had young children family life made me marvel at nature and appreciate our community in a different way to the way it does now that I have a different way of life. If I knew an elderly neighbour had such a problem though I’d like to have known and helped. Community communication.

No point seething, just sweep the bits up and put them into your own bin, always best to stay on good terms with neighbours. I get lots of wind blown leaves from next door, I cannot imagine me complaining. They go into my compost heap

I might act innocent and ask them if they ever worry about the tree`s stability. Just sow the seed of doubt and leave it at that

MOnica
Just think of all the potential leaf mould you are abandoning to the council tip

OP, if it is large, it is prob old, and may have a TPO.
i doubt the tenant would be interested about it. they don't own it or the land it stands on.
if i was the tenant, i would just ignore it.
hope you can get somewhere with the landlord or the council.
have you checked the highways dept ?

We have a problem because our road runs west-east. and has a long earth bank, a scheduled monument running along it, which is lined with forest size trees.

The wide grass verges each side of the bank are completely unbroken until they reach our house where there is a brick garden wall between us an our eastern neighbour.

As with everywhere else in Britain the prevailing winds, especially in Autumn ar westerlys and they blow the leaves of these 20 or more huge trees down the road - until they reach the brick wall, where they collect - in our garden and the access road infront of it.

Every autumn I rake up all the leaves from the garden and access road. I probably fill 8-10 huge builders bages which DH and I take to the tip.

I often think how fortunate it is that my favourite gardening job is raking leaves - but even then it does become burdensome at times.

I would clear up the debris , put it in my bin , make myself a cuppa and forget about it. It's annoying but not worth causing any ill feeling.

pascal good advice. Thank you

Old proud thank you. I have already checked the relevant council pages. I can report littering but through the roads department. There is no ability to report a potentially dangerous tree which seems odd. However everything on the council website is about deniability. I suspect it's a lack of resources really. I don't want to make it a bigger issue than it is. So far the branches are small. It's the sheer amount of them,tangling together and blocking the pavement and gutter and nobody bothers. Except me!

I would contact the owner with your concerns as regard to the tree.. and I would speak to your neighbours and explain that you don't have enough space in your bin for the debris from the tree and ask them if you can leave it in their drive for their gardener to dispose of the next time he works there..

Grandmabatty, does your regional / county council have a web page anything like these?

www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/what-we-look-after/soft-landscape-maintenance/overhanging-vegetation

www.bradford.gov.uk/transport-and-travel/highways/overhanging-hedges-trees-shrubs-or-bushes/

If it does, it probably has a facility on there for you to report a problem as well as other info that could be useful to you..

Again some really good advice. Thank you. I've looked at the council website and it is full of the council stating what they are not responsible for! I'll definitely speak to the contractor when I see him. And when I see the tenant I'll maybe gently ask about the safety of the tree. It's truly massive and must cause them concern as it's so close to the house.

Next time you see the Contractor have a word with him about it, if he gives you his phone number you can call him when there is a problem and he can charge the owner of the property.

Grandmabatty

It's not my garden rubbish as it's on the pavement, not actually on my property. I could contact the council, but I won't hold my breath for a speedy response! I did have doubts about putting it on their garden and I definitely don't want to create ill feelings between us. I'll see if I can find the owner on the Scottish land registry. Callistemon you make a valid point about bigger branches falling off and hitting my car and others. Can I reiterate I would always get rid of debris that was in my garden. This stuff is littered along the pavement and gutter

I think that contacting the council is 100% the right thing to do. As you said, the debris has fallen on the pavement, which presumably makes it their responsibility.

It must be very annoying for you, but apart from clearing it up and disposing of it yourself, which you shouldn't have to do and might possibly even get in trouble for doing if some jobsworth official decided to be a PITA (pain in the ...), I doubt there is anything more you can do.

I wouldn't hold your breath though!

Grandmabatty I don't think anyone is suggesting you would flytip your garden rubbish - there were just some questions raised about whether you could put the pavement rubbish back in their garden.

We have big oak trees near us (some of them ours with PO) and we have called the Council to get them cut back when necessary. Once because they were dropping acorns and branches over parked cars. Once to get the lower branches cut back after a young girl got her hair caught up while chasing a ball. They should absolutely come and clear up pavement obstructions.

It's not my garden rubbish as it's on the pavement, not actually on my property. I could contact the council, but I won't hold my breath for a speedy response! I did have doubts about putting it on their garden and I definitely don't want to create ill feelings between us. I'll see if I can find the owner on the Scottish land registry. Callistemon you make a valid point about bigger branches falling off and hitting my car and others. Can I reiterate I would always get rid of debris that was in my garden. This stuff is littered along the pavement and gutter