While the City of Wolverhampton Council is responsible for ensuring that vegetation growing on the highway doesn't pose a problem or cause danger to road users, land and home owners are responsible for trees, hedges and shrubs growing from their property.
Overgrown vegetation can spread across pavements, forcing pedestrians to walk in the road. It can also obscure road direction and warnings signs, which could put motorists at risk. Additionally, vegetation must not block light from street lighting columns.
Steve Woodward, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Head of Environmental Services, said: "Overgrown vegetation is a problem at this time of year - and this summer in particular has seen a combination of rain and warm sunny spells which has created ideal growing conditions.
"While this is fantastic news for gardeners and allotment holders, it does mean that unattended shrubs, hedges and trees can grow out of control, and so we're asking residents to check any vegetation in their gardens and, if it is encroaching on the highway, please cut it back.
"At the same time, I'd urge anyone who has spotted vegetation growing on council land which is causing an obstruction to please call us on 01902 551155 or contact us using the Report It app so that we can make sure it is cut back."
The Report It app can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play.
Pavements and kerb edges should be cleared of debris after pruning or cutting work. When planning to trim overgrown trees and hedges, please consider the surrounding wildlife, particularly during the nesting season.
- released: Friday 5 August, 2016