87 Dupont Road overgrown tree

Updates

• Thank you for reporting a problem with a street tree.

  We aim to inspect street tree problems within 10 working days of being reported, or 2 hours if the tree is dangerous. We aim to carry out any necessary work within 30 working days.

  Did you know…?
  We care for more than 20,000 street trees in Merton, including pruning, pollarding, and planting hundreds each year to keep streets green, safe, and walkable.
  

  Posted by Merton Council at 12:49, Sun 23 November 2025

• Thank you for your report. Branches touching overhead telephone wires are not our duty to prune – this is the responsibility of service providers e.g., British Telecom (BT) or local network operator e.g., Openreach as these are their properties. They, as a statutory undertaker under the Telecommunications Act 1984, hold a telecommunications licence to carry out works, including tree works, to maintain their services. Several options are available to the utility company that do not require pruning of a tree to maintain the service. For example, the cable can be sheathed at points of high friction, or the line can be redirected through the tree canopy. Pruning is a temporary solution, and the problem may reoccur when branches grow back. Please contact them in case a fault with telephone connection. According to Merton Council’s policy document: Tree Strategy 2023–2029 and common law precedents: Residents have right to prune overhanging branches up to their property boundary, provided the tree is not protected (e.g. by a Tree Preservation Order) or in a conservation area. The pruned material remains council property, but you do not need to return it and please dispose of in legal and appropriate manner. Please note that access to council land is not permitted during such work for safety reasons. We recommend using a qualified tree surgeon for safe, professional work: https://www.trees.org.uk/ Find-a-professional

  State changed to: In progress

  Posted by Merton Council at 15:52, Tuesday 20 January 2026