The following information has been developed to guide you through the process of installing a Christmas tree in your community.

Decide where you would like the tree located

Things to take into account:

• Who owns the land?
• Do you have permission from the landowner to install a tree?
• If you are unsure who owns the land you can check this by carrying out a Land Registry search.

If the land is public highway:

• you will need authority from Ealing Council. If you would like to install a tree on public highway or public open space, please complete and return the attached form.
• consideration will need to be made to ensure there is sufficient access for pedestrians. A minimum clear width of 1.5m must be allowed to ensure pedestrians, including those with mobility difficulties or disabilities, are able to travel safely past the tree.

How will the fairy lights be powered?

The lights may be able to be plugged into a nearby street light column, electricity feeder pillar or a nearby building. You will need to determine the most appropriate power source and obtain agreement from the bill payer.

If you would like to plug into a power source located on public highway, please include this information on the attached form. It is your responsibility to apply to your local energy supplier for an MPAN number (Meter Point Administration Number).  The number uniquely identifies your electricity supply point that will power your Christmas lights or decorations (please note that you will be billed directly by the electricity supplier for the power you use)

If you wish to obtain power from a private supply, you will need to agree this with the private supply owner/bill payer. You may still need to pay for using the electricity so remember to build this cost into your project budget.

If there is no power supply located within the vicinity of the proposed tree location, and this is public highway, Ealing Council may be able to install an appropriate feeder unit. There will be a cost to do this so you will also need to build this into your project budget. The cost will vary according to the location of the mains power supply and proposed location of the new feeder unit. Please include all appropriate details of your proposal on the attached form.

What size Christmas tree do you want?

This will be guided by the space available to accommodate the tree and your budget. The trees previously installed at Greenford Memorial Garden measure 12ft in height and the trees located outside Ealing Town Hall have measured between 20-25ft. Christmas trees can vary in width so ask the Christmas tree provider for more guidance.

Safety and security

For safety and security, installation must be carried out by a contractor with relevant health and safety training and who carries extensive public and product liability and professional indemnity insurance. We recommend a full risk assessment is performed prior to installation of trees in public areas and appropriate fixings and weights are used in order to take account of site conditions, tree weight and size. We recommend the use of picket fencing around the base of trees that are 15ft high and above.

If on public highway, sufficient access for pedestrians will be required. A minimum clear width of 1.5m must be allowed to ensure pedestrians, including those with mobility difficulties or disabilities, are able to travel safely past the tree.

You will need to check if the Christmas tree contractor is qualified to install and connect the fairy lights to the proposed power supply. If they are able to install the lights but not qualified to connect to the power source, you will need to arrange an electrician to do this.

Project funding

The cost of the project will vary according to the size and type of tree you wish to install and if you need to install a power supply. You may wish to ask local businesses to contribute to the cost, run a crowd funding campaign and/or apply for funding. Check out the funding pages on Do Something Good for suitable funding opportunities.
Quotes and paying for the tree

We would advise that you obtain a minimum of three quotes for a good comparison and consult with whoever is funding the project as to which company to use.

Before you agree on any contracts, ensure you have agreed the funding contribution(s) with those who are paying and give them enough time to pay.
More information

If you would like to talk through your ideas or have any questions, please call 020 8825 5000 or email dosomethinggood@ealing.gov.uk. If you would like to organise lights on a tree that has already been planted or would like to plant a new tree, please contact trees@ealing.gov.uk  with your proposal.