Tree surgeons fined after excessive pruning of protected copper beech

[TIMON]

We still have TO’s working in %’s round here.
Be interesting to know the full story behind what happened.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

CR 20% (linear) = 2m off the end of a 10m radial branch, simplistically...still looks to have exceeded that.

CR 20% (volume) = 0.8m off the end of a 10m radial (approx. and extrapolating from the BS...which may not technically be correct)...certainly exceeded, and significantly.

 

In my view they've CL'd over the house and then tried to balance the lower crown on the opposite side.

 

Whilst the spec on the application could have been / should have been better / more definitive could the LPA involved have better 'conditioned' the consent to achieve a more certain outcome (said without having seen either documents so pure speculation.)

 

Paul

 

[Steve Bullman]

I appreciate in the pictures they have clearly well exceeded what was allowed, but where is the line drawn exactly?  I always use these percentages as a guide, the tree and its growth point dictate the best reduction point as a rule. 

[Mark Bolam]

Same.

My usual guide is how light I’m feeling on the day.

[Gary Prentice]

35 minutes ago, AA Teccie (Paul) said:

CR 20% (linear) = 2m off the end of a 10m radial branch,

But after the fact, how long was the branch/tall was the tree to start with? 

 

I had a notification for a 20% reduction of a 4m tall yew sent back by Manchester Council - refused to validate, once. How tall will it be after reduction? Like they were going to go and measure it , but them's the rules..

[Gary Prentice]

1 minute ago, Mark Bolam said:

Same.

My usual guide is how light I’m feeling on the day.

So you do mostly felling work? 

[Mark Bolam]

56 minutes ago, David Humphries said:

Maybe the use of % is part the problem here Mark rather than the specific use of linear distance?

It’s certainly easier to stick more closely to spec with linear distances.

As Steve pointed out though, someone should tell the trees!

[Mark Bolam]

Just now, Gary Prentice said:

So you do mostly felling work? 

Errr....

Yes!

?

[Gary Prentice]

27 minutes ago, Steve Bullman said:

I appreciate in the pictures they have clearly well exceeded what was allowed, but where is the line drawn exactly?  I always use these percentages as a guide, the tree and its growth point dictate the best reduction point as a rule. 

That's what, I think, most experienced and knowledgeable climbers do, confident that they could argue their case if the LA got haughty. It's hard to apply specific measurements to a limb or tree if there is no suitable union/fork to prune to.

[arbogrunt]

LAs need to take more legal action against bad pruning of TPOd trees. We get lots of 'lopped and topped' TPOs here...and no action taken against the tree companies...there's no deterrent to keep the cowboys in the Leylandii hedges....