Tree maintenance

A workable specification starts with the result needed. That may be measured clearance above a drive, selected dead branches removed over a patio, or a named pruning operation. We also need to know what sits below the crown. Conservatories, sheds, parked vehicles, public paths and neighbouring gardens change how branches can be controlled and how much working space the team needs.

The route out matters too. Send a whole-tree photograph, closer views of the relevant branches and pictures of gates, steps and side passages. Add the address and mark the tree if there is more than one. A quote visit may be needed to agree the work and access. It is for pricing and job planning, not a tree survey or formal assessment report.

Woodside Forestry Ltd is established 2008. Appropriately assigned team members are qualified for the major tree-surgery tasks they carry out, including aerial work where required. HSE guidance requires trained and competent operators for professional aerial chainsaw work, a minimum of two people for aerial tree work and a ground worker able to carry out aerial rescue. The crew and work method are set for the job rather than promised from photographs alone. We carry £10 million public liability insurance.

There is no single maintenance month for every tree or operation. The amount of live growth removed, the tree's growth pattern, recent weather and the reason for the work affect timing. Heavy cutting can produce vigorous new growth and work against the original aim. A smaller operation can sometimes solve the property conflict without turning upkeep into severe pruning.

Protected-tree controls apply even when work is described as maintenance. A Tree Preservation Order normally requires the local planning authority's written consent before cutting, subject to limited exceptions. Trees in a conservation area that are not already protected can require six weeks' notice. An existing decision notice may also set the wording, limits or timing that must be followed. Customers should provide any reference and approved specification before restricted work begins. Woodside does not offer planning consultancy.

Wildlife can also change the date or method. It is an offence intentionally to damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built. That is why a fixed online nesting-season date is not enough. The actual tree and work area matter. If the agreed operation cannot proceed lawfully, it must be changed or rescheduled. Immediate storm damage is handled through our separate 24-hour emergency call-out, not folded into a routine maintenance date.

Before cutting starts, the team confirms the trees, written operations and working area. Vehicles and movable garden items may need clearing from below. The customer must agree access through a neighbour's property in advance. If the site differs materially from the quote information, the work is paused so the safe scope and any price change can be agreed first.

We complete the stated tree work and clean-up is included in every job. That means the agreed working area is cleared when we finish. It does not mean every branch, chip or piece of timber is automatically taken away. Material may be removed, chipped, stacked or left for the customer, depending on what the individual quote says. Writing that choice down avoids a pile of timber becoming a surprise at the end of the day.

We cover Iver, Slough and towns across the surrounding Buckinghamshire area. Use the quote form to send photographs and access details. We will confirm whether the request is best priced as one visit or separate stages. You receive a defined scope, not a standing contract or a promise to keep checking the trees afterwards.