Tree surgery in Blackburn and across Lancashire
Felling, sectional dismantling, crown reduction, thinning, lifting, deadwooding, pollarding and stump grinding — plus storm damage call-outs. Protected-tree checks done before we quote, not after we cut.
What tree surgery actually involves
Tree surgery is not one job, it is a dozen different ones, and the right answer depends on the tree, where it stands and what is bothering you about it. Most of what we do falls into these:
Felling and sectional dismantling
If a tree has room to fall in one piece and it is safe to do so, it gets felled. Most garden trees do not have that room. In that case it is dismantled in sections from the top down, roped and lowered where there is a greenhouse, a conservatory or a neighbour's fence to think about. It is slower and it costs more than a straight fell, and it is the only sensible way to take a big tree out of a small garden.
Crown reduction
Taking the overall size of the crown down while keeping the tree's natural shape, cutting back to suitable growth points rather than random stubs. This is what people usually mean when they say a tree needs "topping" — and reduction is the version that does not ruin the tree. Topping leaves large open wounds and forces weak regrowth that becomes a problem in a few years.
Crown thinning
Removing a proportion of the smaller branches throughout the crown so more light gets through and the wind passes through rather than pushing against it. The tree stays the same size and shape — it just stops casting quite so much shade over the lawn.
Crown lifting
Taking off the lowest branches to raise the height of the canopy: over a driveway so you can get a van under it, over a lawn so you can mow without ducking, or off a footpath so people can get past.
Deadwooding
Taking dead branches out of a living tree. A dead limb over a patio or a parking spot is the thing most likely to hurt somebody, and it is one of the quicker and cheaper jobs on this list.
Pollarding
Cutting back to the same points repeatedly to hold a tree at a set size. It suits species that respond to it, like willow and lime, and it only works as an ongoing cycle — once you start, it needs repeating.
Stump grinding
Grinding the stump out below ground level so you can turf, plant or pave over it. Without it you are left with a stump that will not rot for years and will very likely throw up suckers.
Storm damage and emergency call-outs
Trees come down in gales, and split limbs hang up in the crown where they are far more dangerous than they look. If something is down or hanging, ring rather than emailing.
Signs a tree needs looking at
- Dead branches in the crown, or bark falling away in plates
- Fungal brackets growing at the base or on the trunk
- A crack or split where a limb joins the trunk
- The tree has lifted the ground on one side, or leans more than it used to
- Branches touching the roof, gutters or a neighbour's property
- The garden gets no direct light from spring onwards
- Roots interfering with a wall, drive or drain
None of these automatically means removal. Several of them are solved by reduction, thinning or deadwooding, which keeps the tree and costs less.
Power lines
If a tree or a fallen limb is touching, near or hanging over an electricity line, do not go near it and do not let anyone else. That is a job for the network operator, who will attend free of charge. Ring 105 from anywhere in the UK.
Protected trees and conservation areas
This is the part that catches people out, and getting it wrong carries a serious fine. It is worth two minutes of reading.
Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs)
A TPO is a council order protecting a specific tree, group of trees or woodland. If a tree is covered by one, you must have written consent from the council before cutting, topping, lopping, uprooting or wilfully damaging it — and that includes work on the roots.
Doing protected tree work without consent is a criminal offence. For the more serious cases the fine is unlimited, and the courts do use it. Nobody wants that landing on a householder because a contractor did not check.
Conservation areas
If your property sits in a conservation area, trees above a certain size are protected even without a TPO. You have to give the council six weeks' written notice before doing the work — a "Section 211 notice". During those six weeks the council can either let it go ahead or slap a TPO on the tree.
Six weeks is a real wait, so it pays to get the notice in early rather than the week before you want the job doing.
Who you notify round here
It depends which council your property falls under:
- Blackburn, Darwen and Mellor — Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
- Accrington, Great Harwood, Rishton, Oswaldtwistle — Hyndburn Borough Council
- Clitheroe, Whalley, Langho, Wilpshire, Ribchester, Longridge — Ribble Valley Borough Council
- Burnley and Padiham — Burnley Borough Council
- Chorley — Chorley Borough Council
- Preston — Preston City Council
We check which applies to you before quoting, and we will tell you if consent or notice is needed.
Exceptions worth knowing
There are limited exceptions — dead trees, and work urgently needed to remove an immediate risk of serious harm. Even then you normally have to give the council notice, and the burden of proving it was justified sits with whoever did the work.
"It looked dead" is not a defence. If there is any doubt, we photograph and document the condition before anything is cut.
What happens when we turn up
Site check
We walk the job again, agree exactly what is coming off, and confirm where the drop zone and the chipper are going. Cars moved, gates opened, pets in.
Set up
Area cordoned where needed. Anything fragile below gets protected or moved. If the work affects a footpath or the road, that gets managed properly.
The cutting
Climbed or worked from the ground depending on the tree. Sections roped and lowered where a free drop is not safe. Brash goes through the chipper as we go, so the garden does not disappear under it.
Clear down
Timber and chip removed unless you want to keep it. Ground raked, hard surfaces blown off, and we walk it with you before we leave.
See the difference
One pair per service, and only when we have both halves. We will not put a real finished photo next to a made-up before.
Nothing. Quotes are free.
Tree work is priced on what is actually there: the species, the size, where it stands, what is underneath it, how the waste gets out and whether it needs climbing or can be reached from the ground. That is why we come and look.
- We look at the tree, not a photograph of it
- We tell you if a TPO or conservation area notice applies before you commit
- The quote says what is coming off and what is being left
- Waste removal is included in the price unless you want to keep the logs
- No obligation, and no follow-up sales calls
Why we will not price it over the phone
A price given down the phone is a guess, and guesses get revised upwards on the day. Looking at the job takes us fifteen minutes and means the number we give you is the number you pay.
Our guarantee
If you are not happy with any part of the work, tell us before we leave — or ring within 14 days — and we will come back and put it right at no charge. That covers the work we carried out. It does not cover new growth, storm damage after we have left, or plants that fail to take. This is on top of your legal rights, not instead of them.
Prices on this website
You will not find a "from £X" figure anywhere on this site. Every garden is different, and a headline price that does not apply to your job is not much use to you. Ring or send the form and you will get a real one.
Questions about tree surgery
Do I need permission to have my tree cut?
Sometimes. You need council consent if the tree has a Tree Preservation Order on it, and six weeks' written notice if it stands in a conservation area. There are also occasional planning conditions on newer estates that protect trees. We check before quoting and tell you exactly what applies to your property.
How do I find out if my tree has a TPO?
Your local council holds the register and most publish a map of protected trees online. Ring their tree or planning team with the address and they will tell you. We do this check as part of quoting, so you do not have to.
Will you top my tree?
No, not in the sense of cutting the top off and leaving stubs. Topping leaves big open wounds that let decay in, and the regrowth that follows is weakly attached and often more dangerous than what was there before. What people usually want when they ask for topping is a crown reduction, which brings the height and spread down while keeping the tree's shape and its health. That we will happily do.
Can you take a big tree out of a small back garden?
Usually, yes. It gets dismantled in sections and lowered on ropes rather than felled, and it comes out through the house or down the ginnel if that is the only route. It takes longer than a straight fell and the quote reflects that, but the tree does not have to have room to fall.
What happens to the stump?
Left as it is unless you ask otherwise. We can cut it low, or grind it out below ground level so the ground can be turfed, planted or paved. Grinding is usually quoted separately because it needs a different machine on site.
Can I keep the logs?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Say so when we quote and we will cut them to the length you want and stack them. Bear in mind fresh timber needs seasoning before it will burn properly — usually a couple of years for hardwood.
My neighbour's tree overhangs my garden. What can I do?
In England you generally have a common law right to cut back growth that crosses your boundary, up to the boundary line only, and the cuttings legally belong to your neighbour so you should offer them back. But the tree may still be protected by a TPO or conservation area rules, which override that right. Our advice is always to talk to the neighbour first — it goes better, and often they want it doing too.
Is it too late in the year to do tree work?
Rarely. Most tree work can be done year round. Winter is often the best time: the structure is visible with the leaves off, and there is no nesting season to work around. A few species are better pruned at specific times — we will tell you if yours is one.
Want a price on your garden?
Tell us what needs doing and we will come and look. Quotes are free, there is no obligation, and you get a straight answer on what the job actually involves.