Trees

The main services we provide are -

Managing the trees growing on the County Highway in Bedfordshire including inspection, maintenance, pruning and planting – promoting attractive streets and landscapes, providing a healthy stock of trees and ensuring public safety.

To report a hazardous tree or to request work to roadside trees please email  or contact:

Highways Helpdesk|
Bedfordshire County Council
6th Floor
County Hall
Bedford
MK42 9AP

Tel: (01234) 228661

For more specific information please contact:

David Alderman|

Kevin Parsons| – for Mid and South Bedfordshire towns and villages

Mike Crawshaw| – for Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and North Bedfordshire towns and villages

Advice to other parts of the County Council on trees – including on Planning Applications, schools and other Council owned sites.

Advice to the public – the council does not provide an independent arboricultural consultancy service but can provide expert advice on privately owned trees adjacent to public roads where there may be concern regarding safety.

Contact: David Alderman|

We also run

The Parish Tree Warden Scheme

– with a network of voluntary wardens, currently represented in 90 parishes, promoting and practically involved in planting trees and hedges.

Contact: David Alderman|

Black Poplar Survey

Helping volunteers identify and record our rare native Black Poplar (web site coming soon!)

Contact: David Alderman|

Veteran Trees Project

Promoting the importance of our tree heritage. Recording our oldest trees as part of the national Ancient Tree Hunt|.

North Chilterns Veteran Tree Project

Contact: Project Officer Sarah Mardling|
Tel: (01582) 511802

The Community Tree Trust| – involving schoolchildren and volunteers in collecting seed from local woodlands and planting trees and shrubs

Contact: Colin Carpenter

Telephone: 07751 356094

Services provided by others include:

Trimming hedges on the County Highway
Contact the Highways Help Desk|
Telephone: (01234) 228661

Managing and maintaining planted beds, by-pass landscaping and other landscaping in new road and traffic calming schemes|.

Telephone: (01234) 228759
Fax: (01234) 228315

The Special Trees| and Woodlands of the Chilterns project involves the public in identifying, recording and celebrating important parts of our natural heritage.

Advice on Tree Preservation Orders, trees in Conservation Areas, the High Hedges Bill, neighbourly disputes, and trees on private property is provided by the Local Planning Authorities.

Bedford Borough Council|
South Beds District Council|
Mid Beds District Council|
Luton Borough Council|

Please note that some trees are on grass areas maintained by Housing Associations, Parish Councils or private management companies. Unfortunately this is not always obvious.

Leighton Linslade Town Council|
Dunstable Town Council|
Houghton Regis Town Council| 
Aragon Housing Association| 

The Forestry Commission supports woodland planting and management, and works through County Councils and a variety of other organisations.

Contact:

Emma Pritchard|
Forestry Commission|
Santon Downham
Suffolk
IP27 0TJ

Telephone: 01842 815544.

The following trusts work with local communities to conserve and enhance the natural environment of Bedfordshire.

Ivel and Ouse Countryside Project|
Forest of Marston Vale (Marston Vale Trust)|
The North Chilterns Trust

Important organisations include:

The Tree Council| – Founded in 1974 to improve the environment in town and country by promoting the planting and conservation of trees and woods. Organises nationally the Tree Warden Scheme, National Tree Week and Seed Gathering Sunday 

The Woodland Trust |– The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading woodland conservation charity dedicated solely to the protection of our native woodland heritage. It owns some Bedfordshire woods with public access, Bramingham Wood – Luton; Gullivers Spinney – Souldrop; Kempston Wood - Wood End, Kempston; Plummers Wood – Haynes, Shefford; Reynolds Wood – Brogborough; Swineshead & Spanoak Woods - Swineshead, Kimbolton; Water End – Cople.

The main contacts for our services are:

Highways Help Desk| – for emergency calls, complaints and requests for tree work Telephone: (01234) 228661

David Alderman| County Arboricultural Officer
Telephone: (01234) 228646

Kevin Parsons| Arboricultural Officer
Telephone: (01234) 228060

Mike Crawshaw| Arboricultural Officer (Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard)
Telephone: (01234) 228092

Heritage and Environment Service
Bedfordshire County Council
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP