Arboricultural Services

Overview

Arboricultural Services encompasses the management, care and maintenance of trees in public spaces. This includes a range of activities aimed at ensuring the health, safety and sustainability of the tree population. The authority is responsible for the maintenance of trees in parks, on our streets, and in other public and open spaces, which are crucial for environmental health and biodiversity. Services include but are not limited to: • Tree planting • Tree watering and establishment • Maintenance and pruning • Tree removal; and • Emergency 24-hour cover Additionally, Arboricultural Services contribute significantly to Councils statutory town planning obligations and environmental policy initiatives, ensuring trees are embedded in polices and strategic initiatives that align with broader sustainability goals such as improved air quality, enhancing biodiversity and combating climate change, demonstrating our commitment to environmental goals and the wellbeing of our communities. Statutory Framework Local authorities have a Duty of Care to prevent or minimise the risk of injury or damage to property caused by tree failure to those reasonably likely to be affected. This duty arises from: • Occupiers’ Liability Act (1957 and 1984). • Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) • Highways Act (1980) • Common Law liability of Negligence and Nuisance The Council’s tree management regime maintenance contract is required to minimise the risk of liability arising from our Duty of Care and other statutory and common law obligations. Objectives The overall objectives for the new contract will be but not limited to: • Ensure the Councils statutory duties in relation to Arboricultural services are delivered. • Provide continued support to other areas of the Council with the aim of ensuring best value for money and a continuing high level of performance. • Contribute to greening, biodiversity, social value and health & wellbeing / physical activity outcomes; and • Continue to deliver current priorities such as the Council's Fairer Westminster priorities, #2035, environmental targets and public realm strategies as appropriate. • Ensure contract management and accountability, ensuring that the new service provider delivers on KPIs related to service quality, environmental goals, and community engagement. • Ensure compliance with legal, financial, and procurement regulations. • Introduce greater service flexibility to accommodate future changes in priorities, such as the potential to merge responsibilities and or deliverables with Highways or Public Realm initiatives. • Enhanced social value contributions, increased focus on climate action, greening and biodiversity. Contractual activities required to meet objectives will include, but are not limited to: • Tree surgery operations in order to maintain a healthy stock of highway trees and to minimise the risk from trees to users of the public highway, parks and cemeteries and housing estates and properties. • Tree surgery operations to Council owned trees to reduce the likelihood of subsidence related damage to adjacent properties. • Tree removal to minimise the risks of tree failure. • Tree planting including site investigations, young tree watering and establishment; and • Providing a 24-hour emergency service to deal with urgent tree related incidents.