Distance a Tree Can be safely growing to a house

[Doug Tait]

33 minutes ago, Dan27 said:

The concern about the tree blowing over has come from the comments on this forum. 

 

I didn't have it before but when someone says it's a potential death trap - I listen. 

 

 

Please don't consider all opinions given in this thread as being equal. The poster that made these comments is unsure of the facts.

 

Note the advice of Chris at Eden and others who are professional people, experienced in the subject and genuinely trying to advise

[Chris at eden]

3 hours ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

Do tulip trees have deep roots?

It grows very rapidly in deep, rich well-drained soils with uniform rainfall. Dry summer weather causes physiological problems. Tulip tree drops its foliage in response to drought and is somewhat weak-wooded." ... Most active tree roots are in the top 3 feet of soil; the majority are in the top 12 inches.1 Jul 2008

I have never seen a Liriodendron drop leaves in the summer due to drought.  They are talking about the kind of drought conditions that they experience in some part of the USA.  Conditions are so dry in some parts of the US that they don't have shrinkable clay soils, they have expansive clay soils as the soils are persistently desiccated.  Summer branch drop is also highly associated with drought so they are potentially making reference to that.  I don't know as I don't know where the research is from.  Its also pretty old.     

 

If you put that in as evidence (or any of your other points) for a TPO application it would be refused, and you would lose on appeal.  If you think i am wrong then you could get yourself some PI insurance and do the OPs report on a no win, no fee basis.  I mean, you would have to lie about your lack qualifications in the report, and when getting the insurance, and when sitting in the PINS hearing, otherwise it wouldn't be accepted as professional advice.           

[Chris at eden]

2 hours ago, Dan27 said:

 

I appreciate everyone's comments and as a person who knows next to nothing about trees, comments about seeing this trees as a death trap are very concerning - but I try to take them with a pinch of salt. 

Good idea.  If you have concerns over tree safety though, you should get it inspected.  

2 hours ago, Dan27 said:

 

I have already put in planning permission with the council - about a month ago when I was told about my sons allergens and it was only yesterday that I had some contact back and this is why I am now looking for more angels than just the allergy to approach this. 

What contact?  Was it refused? Are you going to appeal?   

2 hours ago, Dan27 said:

 

I am not happy as to how close the tree is too my house and the possible future ramifications it could possibly pose. 

Impossible to say without looking at it.  Can you get up the access drive on street scene?   

2 hours ago, Dan27 said:

 

The tree can not be seen from the main road and is only visible to a very small number of people. There are a maximum of 10 houses (including mine) that can possibly see it - although I am unsure this has any influence on the decision of the council tree officer. 

 

It depends.  It should have but some TOs like to stretch the rules slightly.  That isn't to say it doesn't meet the amenity test.  The PINS inspector will definitely look at it objectively.  But it is still their opinion so difficult to judge for certain.  

 

I have seen mature Beech trees taken out in front gardens on appeal based on dominance.  But then i have seen similar in rear gardens with less visibility retained.  If the tree has no visibility from the street then you may have a chance.  But, the PINS inspector may consider that the view from 10 houses is sufficient as they are occupied by members of the public.  It is impossible to say from the info supplied. 

       

    

[Pete Mctree]

9 minutes ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

Oki Dokey, I only really post what I read on Google or have knowledge of it. I am wrong everyday in my short life so I have got used to it. The higher a tree grows then the easier it is to get blown over so I wouldn't want a tall tree anywhere near my property or I would be up there with a saw reducing it, TPO or not, my life comes first. I should have been a lawyer but there was no money in it because I have always had this ability to upset folk with the slightest thing, only then, the person opens up and spills all their knowledge out and I take it in for my next business. 😉

And how does topping a tree affect it's structural integrity- google that !

 

A little bit of knowledge is truly a dangerous thing.

[eggsarascal]

5 minutes ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

I should have been a lawyer. 😉

Really?, I wouldn't want you as my brief.

 

If you notice I never get involved with these kind of threads because I know bugger all about them. Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are a fool than speak and remove all doubt.

[breffni]

17 hours ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

If the house was built in the 90s then they would have scraped the area for the founds. The height of the tree is the area of the roots around the trunk or as far out as the branches. Only blessing is that in a gale force wind the side without the house is the weakest. In the end it needs to be removed as soon as possible.

What experience do you have in dealing with trees? 

[breffni]

3 hours ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

I just look up the facts on Goggle and I guess sometimes its wrong. Its always the same when I go on a forum. I'm ridiculed then I'm violently opposed and then I'm accepted as self-evident. I actually enjoy it because it gives me the motivation to build a business. My window cleaning business is thriving but I have always liked gardening so being a tree surgeon is my next step. 😉

If only someone would violently oppose you you might not spout such shit on a subject you clearly know f all about. 

[David Cropper]

3 minutes ago, breffni said:

If only someone would violently oppose you you might not spout such shit on a subject you clearly know f all about. 

He's quite amusing in a Vespasian manner. But he's bleeding dangerous if any poor bugger heeds his "advice". 

[Chris at eden]

8 minutes ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

Oki Dokey, I only really post what I read on Google or have knowledge of it. I am wrong everyday in my short life so I have got used to it. The higher a tree grows then the easier it is to get blown over

I'm sorry but again i have to disagree with what you are saying.  Taller trees are not more likely to blow over.  This opinion is not supported by science.  Trees reach an ultimate height maybe 1/2 - 2/3rds into their life span but stem diameters continue to increase strengthening their bases.  Smaller trees are rapidly growing in height at the expense of stem diameter and thus their height to diameter ratio makes them more likely to fail than the large ones.  Defects are what makes trees more likely to fail, not height.  You are confusing the impact of failure with the risk of failure.         

8 minutes ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

so I wouldn't want a tall tree anywhere near my property or I would be up there with a saw reducing it, TPO or not, my life comes first.

Or, if the tree is dangerous, then submit an app with a tree report and avoid the criminal record.  

8 minutes ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

I should have been a lawyer but there was no money in it because I have always had this ability to upset folk with the slightest thing, only then, the person opens up and spills all their knowledge out and I take it in for my next business. 😉

Then be a lawyer, I'm not saying you cant but you will need to do the training.  You cant just spout stuff you read on the internet and dress it up as professional advice.  It will destroy your reputation before you start and there is a lot of money in law.    

 

Before all this Covid stuff kicked off i was half way through my expert witness training.  One of the trainers told me that the only people to win in court is the barrister and the expert witness.  The money they charge is ridiculous.  Think £800 per day as a starting point which goes up as you progress and build your reputation.         

[daltontrees]

I don't know if anyone has said it yet, byut Liriodendron is in the Magnoliacea family, all insect pollinated and therfore producers of very few but large pollen compared with wind pollinators like Betulacea or Pinaceae which just chuck out zillions of fine pollen. I expect a few birch or pine 100 m away would be more asthma-inducing than a Tulip overhanging the property.