When someone else gets the work..

[William Clifford]

I was asked by a Parish Council to quote for some tree works - "to cut back overhanging tree branches". The caretaker explained that they wanted more light in as they were changing the surface of the sports area and didn't want so much shade, moss etc.

 

My advice, as explained to the council in detail -

 - Sever the Ivy, it is most of the light issue and an easy job.

 - There is a lack of decent pruning points to reduce the Acer back to - if you want the branches taking back to the fence, better to take them off to the stem / crown raise so that you don't end up with meter long dead branches or a mass of regrowth / we can prune back as and where suitable.

 

I put in my quote and telephoned to make sure that I was quoting for the same standard / amount of work as the other two quotes, as we all know what happens too often (see photos!...).

 

Someone else got the job. No issues with that IF it was done to a semi decent standard! If it was something else like an electrician that left wires hanging out a plug socket or getting poisoned from a restaurant, then they would know it was a shoddy job. People don't seem to understand though. They'll look at this, say it's back to the fence, it's been left tidy, so good job?!

 

This work has done more harm than good!

- Branches lopped back indiscriminately so that in a couple of years they should either be taking the deadwood off or cutting back the regrowth.

 - Ivy either not severed (about 2/3rds of the ivy is not severed), just cut so it will heal over and grow again or cut so roughly that the trees are / are almost ring barked.

 

Even if the original instructions were followed and the trees were to be just cut back to the fence line, there is no need for such shoddy work, ripped cuts etc..

 

Moan over.. Especially frustrating when it is a Parish Council who should be looking after an area for it's people and not even a homeowner just set on what he / she wants.

 

 

[doobin]

Standard parish councils I’m afraid. Tender ‘processes’ are a joke considering it’s taxpayers money. 

[nath]

Yep thats parish councils. They nearly always have their own pet tree surgeon and just get other prices in to check boxes.

[Dan Maynard]

Tree surgeon? That's what I call builder pruning - pole chainsaw.

[aspenarb]

Dont worry about it, I wouldnt lose any sleep over failing to secure a Parish council contract. I think I would be more concerned and checking figures if I had won it .

 

Bob

[Mark Bolam]

It’s already a known fact that Old Tom’s nephew will get the work.

[eggsarascal]

49 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

It’s already a known fact that Old Tom’s nephew will get the work.

Not so, the ex Mrs Egg was on the parish council, I never got one job I quoted. They'd probably heard about my reputation mind.

[William Clifford]

Yeah, I'm not losing any sleep over it, it's just crap when someone can do such shoddy work and because they're trees and no one understands (or cares?) then they can continue doing it, and cheap of course.

 

Think they had a platform in.

 

They've asked me to quote for some crown raising. Not worth trying to compete with this and obviously don't want to lower to this standard.

[Mark Bolam]

10 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

Not so, the ex Mrs Egg was on the parish council, I never got one job I quoted. They'd probably heard about my reputation mind.

You aren’t Old Tom’s nephew are you?

[eggsarascal]

1 minute ago, Mark Bolam said:

You aren’t Old Tom’s nephew are you?

No but I used to drink with Old Tom and even he couldn't swing it for me.