Milton Keynes City Council is responsible for some of the landscaping of public areas and we spend around £880,000 on winter pruning and maintenance. Landscape plantings are planted to soften the built environment, and are not designed to act as a security or privacy barrier. Due to a lengthening growing season (4 weeks longer since 1990) and a maturing landscape, there has been an increase in the need for pruning work in order to maintain shrubs and hedges. 

The main pruning period is between November and March - issues that are reported at other times of the year will be scheduled into this work and areas will be prioritised according to need.

We do not carry out specialist tree works where a “tree surgeon” is required to climb one or more trees.

The schedule of work shows the estates we maintain and when we expect to conduct the work. Please note that the schedule can change because:

• some areas take longer or shorter than planned
• weather conditions, such as snow, intense or prolonged rain and high winds may suspend the operation while we deal with emergencies such as clearing snowfall or removing broken branches and fallen trees
• hedgerow maintenance is restricted by the law during nesting season - if a hedge is believed to be the home to nesting birds, we will be unable to carry out works until the birds have vacated

Not all trees, shrubs and hedges require an annual prune - some operations, such as coppicing, where the planting is cut back for horticultural purposes (to allow the planting to regenerate and make new growth) may be many years apart.

Areas responsible for their own hedge and shrub maintenance are listed on the Devolved Parishes page.

Obstructing roads footpaths and pavements from private land 

The owner of each hedge is responsible for keeping the hedge clear of roads footpaths and pavements and street lights. The city council has produced a leaflet (S154 Highways Act) explaining your responsibilities when trees, hedges and shrubs overhang on the highway which you can read here.