Stump grinding in Emsworth

Small plots and old walls

Period cottages near the harbour often have mature trees in very tight plots, so when one comes down the stump is usually close to something that matters: an old boundary wall, a path, an outbuilding. We look at what is right next to the stump before deciding whether grinding or careful digging out is the better way, and we'll explain why.

Emsworth's conservation area

Emsworth has a conservation area covering the old town around the quay and millponds, and Havant Borough Council protects trees there with a trunk diameter of 75mm or more at 1.5m above the ground. Six weeks' notice is needed before work on them. If the stump is from a tree that went through that process, check whether the council asked for a replacement tree, and plan the space with that in mind. Our Havant TPO guide explains how to check a tree's status.

Damp ground by the millponds

The low ground around the millponds suits willow and other water-loving trees. The Royal Horticultural Society notes that trees on ground with a high water table tend to root nearer the surface, which makes them more prone to suckering, and that suckers can appear after roots are damaged. If shoots come up around a ground-out stump, the RHS advice is to tear them off close to the root.

Stumps on a shared boundary

In Emsworth's tight terraces and cottage rows a stump often straddles the line with next door. Government guidance says you can only cut a neighbour's roots and branches back to your own boundary, so a stump on the line is something to agree with your neighbour before the work is booked.

Photos that help us quote in Emsworth

• The stump, close up, with something beside it for scale
• What is within a metre or so: walls, paths, sheds or fences
• The way in from the road, including any steps or narrow gates
• Whether the stump sits on the boundary with a neighbour
• Any shoots already coming up around it