Trees in the city
Zoetermeer is a green city. The trees in the public space and also the trees on private property make an important contribution to this. Trees contribute to a healthy living environment.
Trees are sustainable, valuable green elements in the city. It takes years for a tree to fully grow. This is especially true for trees such as chestnut, oak, plane, ash and elm. Trees are not simply removed. Rules have been drawn up for granting an environmental permit. These rules are elaborated in the General Local By-law Zoetermeer (APV) .
Monumental
Monumental trees deserve extra attention. In Zoetermeer, 223 trees are on the list of monumental trees, 81 of which are private trees.
Tree Care
The municipality manages and maintains the trees in the city. Every four years, all avenue and street trees are checked for safety and pruned where necessary. For some (old) trees, this frequency is even higher. Trees along roadways and cycle paths are pruned to the required clearance height. Facades and roofs are cleared. Loose and dead branches are removed. New trees are planted in various places in the city every year. Wounds to trees caused by collisions, mowing damage, vandalism and fire are treated if possible.
Tree stock Zoetermeer consultation
You can view the tree file on a map of Zoetermeer. This map gives you the opportunity to enter an address, after which the map zooms in on that location. The map shows all 'public' trees (i.e. those owned by the municipality of Zoetermeer) and all monumental and memorial trees (including private trees). In the outlying areas and parks, not all unique trees are on the map. These trees are considered forest plantations and are managed as a whole. What can be requested from the trees is the number by which the tree is known to the municipality, the (Latin) name, the vitality, how often the tree is checked and the planting year. In addition, a link is shown with which Google images are shown. It is not possible to search by tree species.
In Zoetermeer, there is no need to apply for a felling permit to cut down one's own tree, unless it is a monumental tree or a tree located in the so-called protected areas. These areas are also indicated on the map. However, the municipality itself must have a felling permit for each tree to be felled.