Response 3531731

Response to request for information

Reference

3531731

Response date

30 July 2024

Request

I would like to understand more about how this issue affects your local authority and the trees you are responsible for (i.e, you are responsible for maintaining, or are on your land, owned by you, etc).

In particular, I would like to know, over the past 10 years:

• The locations of trees removed by your authority due to property or infrastructure damage, ideally accompanied by their species and the date of removal where possible (locations via GIS data, What3Words, OS coordinates, or addresses as you find easiest)
• How many of/which of these trees were removed due to claims or requests from insurance companies
• How much the council paid to remove each tree (if this can be attributed per removal, or how much the council spent on tree removal each financial year if not)
• How much the council paid out in insurance claims for tree damage to properties (individual claim values preferred, but an aggregate value may be acceptable if the council considers the individual values to be exempt from disclosure)
• The number of trees where removal has been requested, but was either refused, an alternative solution found, or the situation is still ongoing; any breakdown that can be provided (similar to above, e.g, species and location) would be appreciated

Please follow the following principles when considering this request:

• Data at an individual tree level is preferred, but where you consider this can't be disclosed due to commercial or legal agreements (e.g, insurance claims, contractor works) then aggregate data either annually or (worst case) over the whole period may be acceptable
• Some data is better than no data; for example, if data is only available for the last 5 years then that is better than refusing the request

Response

I would like to understand more about how this issue affects your local authority and the trees you are responsible for (i.e, you are responsible for maintaining, or are on your land, owned by you, etc).

In particular, I would like to know, over the past 10 years:

• The locations of trees removed by your authority due to property or infrastructure damage, ideally accompanied by their species and the date of removal where possible (locations via GIS data, What3Words, OS coordinates, or addresses as you find easiest)

  The Council keeps records of trees felled and planted, but not the reasons for the work, therefore we cannot provide a list of locations where trees were felled due to property or infrastructure damage. 

  We have paid out claims due to tree damage in the following locations.

  Holme Road, West Bridgford

  Abingdon Road, West Bridgford

  Ullswater Close, Gamston

  Melton Road, West Bridgford

  Gotham Road, East Leake

  Radcliffe on Trent Medical Centre Car Park

  Mellors Road, West Bridgford.

• How many of/which of these trees were removed due to claims or requests from insurance companies

  The Council has not recorded this information.   

• How much the council paid to remove each tree (if this can be attributed per removal, or how much the council spent on tree removal each financial year if not)

  The Council has not kept records of how the annual tree budget was spent, but the tree budget where known is shown below alongside payouts due to damage caused by trees is shown below.

  • 2015-16
    • Budget: No record 
    • Payouts:

      £709.87 June 2015

      £6,674. Inc £5k excess paid by RBC. July 2015
  • 2016-17
    • Budget: No record 
    • Payouts: not applicable
  • 2017-18
    • Budget: No record 
    • Payouts: not applicable
  • 2018-19
    • Budget: No record 
    • Payouts: £250.00 November 2028 
  • 2019-20
    • Budget: £56,792.14
    • Payouts: not applicable
  • 2020-21
    • Budget: £58,719.10
    • Payouts: not applicable
  • 2021-22
    • Budget: £56,720.79
    • Payouts: not applicable
  • 2022-23
    • Budget: £56,304.00
    • Payouts: £1422.00 July 2023 
  • 2023-24
    • Budget: £56,304.00 + £45,000
    • Payouts: £660.00 March 2024
  • 2024-25
    • Budget: £56,000.00 + £45,000
    • Payouts:

      £593.00 June 2024

      £323.00 June 2024
• How much the council paid out in insurance claims for tree damage to properties (individual claim values preferred, but an aggregate value may be acceptable if the council considers the individual values to be exempt from disclosure)

  Please refer to above.

• The number of trees where removal has been requested, but was either refused, an alternative solution found, or the situation is still ongoing; any breakdown that can be provided (similar to above, e.g, species and location) would be appreciated

  4 cases were refused and 1 case is still ongoing.

Please follow the following principles when considering this request:

• Data at an individual tree level is preferred, but where you consider this can't be disclosed due to commercial or legal agreements (e.g, insurance claims, contractor works) then aggregate data either annually or (worst case) over the whole period may be acceptable
• Some data is better than no data; for example, if data is only available for the last 5 years then that is better than refusing the request