Do you have a leaf blower? Did you know there are laws around leaf blowing? When we asked a couple of our customers the other day, they didn’t realise. Surely leaves can fall anywhere, so you must be able to blow them anywhere, right?! Wrong!
1. Fallen leaves on roads are cleared by your district or borough council.
2. Leaves on private land are cleared by the land owner.
3. Fallen leaves belong to whoever owns the land that they fall onto.
4. Tree owners don't have to collect leaves that have fallen from their tree onto someone else's property. Tree owners also don't have to take back leaves thathave been gathered from other properties.
5. It is unlawful to return fallen leaves back to someone else's land without their permission (this includes highway land such as the road and the paths and verges running alongside it).
6. Landowners or residents should never use a leaf blower (or other tool) to blow leaves from private land onto the road, pavements or grass verges.
7. It is unlawful to blow leaves from private land onto the highway. It can block drains and cause a hazard to road users. This also applies to other deposits including sap, fallen blossom, catkins, fruit, nuts, berries and cones.
So, next time you get your leaf blower out (or even your rake) to gather those pesky fallen leaves from your lawn, be mindful of where put them.
If you are collecting leaves from around your trees, you should not deposit them in a pile around the base of the tree. This will create an environment that will harm your tree.
Most garden waste can be composted safely away from the tree or taken to your local community recycling centre. Or, if you just can’t handle the leaf clearing, give us a call on 023 8063 2600 for a quote.
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