№01 · ADVICE · PROCESS
Storm-Damaged Trees: What to Do First
Safety steps, insurance documentation, and who to call.
24/7 emergency tree work in the Potteries — response in hours, not days.
Storm-damaged limbs, fallen trees, anything leaning into a building or blocking a road. We have an emergency-ready contractor on call across North Staffordshire — drop us an email and we'll route the job straight to them.
24/7 emergency callout for emergency tree work — opening shortly, email us in the meantime
E mergency tree work is what you call when a tree is currently dangerous: a limb has come down across a driveway, a trunk is leaning into a roof after a storm, a fallen tree is blocking a road, or an inspection has identified a tree that's about to fail. Response time matters more than anything else — and our network includes contractors who can be on a Stoke-on-Trent site within a few hours of a callout.
What we don't do on an emergency callout: chase TPO consent or §211 notices. Section 14 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allows work without consent on a protected tree where it is "in the interests of public safety" or to abate a nuisance — i.e. the limb is actively dangerous. The work is still notifiable to the council, but you don't wait 6 weeks. Documenting the danger with photos before the work starts is essential, so if anyone questions it later you can show why immediate action was justified.
The other thing emergency tree work always involves is insurance documentation. If the damage was caused by a storm, your buildings insurance will usually cover making the tree safe and the cleanup. Get the contractor's invoice with the work itemised, photograph the damage before and after, and keep the council notification in the same file.
Common scenarios for emergency tree work in the Potteries.
Storm-damaged limb hanging into a driveway or roof
Tree blown over in high winds, partly across a building
Roadside tree blocking a public highway
Tree with a confirmed structural failure (split trunk, exposed roots)
Inspection has flagged a tree as imminently unsafe
Email us
Send info@potteriestreesurgeons.co.uk a quick note — what's happened, where, and a photo if you can take one safely. The 24/7 phone line opens shortly; email is the fastest route to a contractor in the meantime.
Site assessment
Contractor arrives, photographs the damage, assesses the immediate danger, agrees the make-safe scope with you.
Make-safe
Sectional removal of the dangerous parts. Roads / drives / paths cleared. Tree stabilised if a fuller removal is needed later.
Documentation
Itemised invoice, before-and-after photos, council notification (if a protected tree). You'll have everything you need for an insurance claim.
Honest ranges for emergency tree work.
From £250
Emergency callout cost depends on time of day (out-of-hours adds a premium), location, and the scope of make-safe needed.
SEE OUR FULL COST GUIDE →How quickly can you get to an emergency in Stoke-on-Trent?
Most callouts within Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme get a contractor on site within 2–4 hours. Outer areas (Leek, Stafford, Stone, Congleton) are typically 4–6 hours depending on time of day. If the tree is across a road, the highway authority may have closed the route already; we work alongside them.
Do I need permission to remove a dangerous tree that has a TPO?
For genuinely emergency work, no — Section 14 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allows work without consent where it's necessary to prevent or abate a danger. But the work must be properly documented (photos, contractor's report) and notified to Stoke-on-Trent City Council afterwards. The contractor handles the notification. Don't be talked into removing a protected tree as an "emergency" when it isn't one — the council can prosecute later if the evidence doesn't support it.
Will my insurance cover an emergency tree job?
Usually, yes, if the damage was caused by a storm or other insured peril. Buildings insurance typically covers making the tree safe and the cleanup. You'll need: photos of the damage before any work starts, an itemised invoice from the contractor, and the council notification (if it was a protected tree). The contractor will provide all three as standard.
What if the tree is on a boundary?
It depends on whose land the trunk sits on. The owner of the trunk is responsible for the tree, even if the dangerous limb is overhanging your side. In a genuine emergency, the contractor can make the limb safe from your side under common-law rights, but it's worth documenting the boundary situation in case of a dispute later. Our boundary trees & neighbour disputes guide covers this.
Where this service is covered.
Before you book, read these.
Storm damage? Dangerous tree?
24/7 emergency callout across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. Response in hours, not days.