council work

[Rupe]

FWIW I am on the LA contractors list and I'm not (and never will be) AA approved, so I'm happy that councils are verifying their own contractors because that benefits me.

 

I just think the term "Illegal" is not quite right. Another LA near me (I'm currently sortign paperwork to join their list) has only just managed to break away from the AA only list, after years of sayign that they wanted to create their own list but have not been able to due to certain departments being too nervous of such a move.

 

Basically they felt that using AA contractors was a way to ensure that all was above board without putting the council at risk of presecution if any accidents occurred.

 

However, due to the poor service that most AA contractors provided they had to do something, but its taken years to happen because the tree officers had to be trained to verify the contractors themselves.

 

Where this training has not yet occurred, possibly due to funding restrictions, some LA's will still be using AA contractors for the time being. Whilst this is may be immoral it cannot be seen as illegal if the infrastructure to verify individual companies is not yet in place.

[Topcat]

when people talk about illegal I think they refer to "best Value", No contractor should be excluded because they are not a member of a certain Ass. Fair enough you have to be corgi reg for gas but you don't have to be on the Marshalls register to do hard landscaping. If all tree contracts stated "work to BS 3998" and you had to produce,insurance,certs of training where as method statements and risk assesments would be produced for each job within the contract. If the works not to Bs3998 the TO stops the job.

[Arborlord]

The problem is the AA dont represent 90 percent of our industry maybe 10 at most.

 

Tell me are they about making money or making arb better hmmmmmmmm.

[johnty]

i,ve just been acepted to be able to do council work, it's took me a year to sort out. The councill seem to be very clicky round here, iv'e sent letters made phone calls, got together a portfolio, he then came out to watch us take down a 70ft dead Atlas Cedar, TPO had been removed, and had to use a large Cherry picker to dissmantle it. Nothing could be dropped.

All went smoothly, thank good.

Just wating for the phone to ring:confused1:

[Foord]

How well do you know the tree officer?

Does seem to help.

[johnty]

How well do you know the tree officer?

Does seem to help.

 

The tree Officer's a nice bloke but i only use him to find out about possible TPO on clients properties. Its the parks and aminities officer that gives out the work round here.

[Yorkshireman]

any problems re best value

try the audit commision on 0207 8281212

helpline 0845 0522616

[Yorkshireman]

Entry Date: 03/04/2009

Reference: S2G09040385842/01

Type of document: Contract award

Country United Kingdom

Nature of contract: Service contract

Procedure: Contract awards

 

ARBORICULTURAL SERVICES

 

Awarding authority: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX. Tel: 020 7361 2767. Fax: 020 7361 3704. Email:[email protected]

Quote Ref: GO 09033112

Competitive contract award.

Contract type: Services.

CPV: 77211500.

Contract for the provision of maintenance and planting services for the Borough's tree stock. The contract will be let on a schedule of rates basis for a term of 6 years with the option to extend by a further 3 years. The borough currently has approximately 7,000 street trees which are pruned on a 2/3 year cycle.

Contractors will be required to be approved by the Arboricultural Association, to demonstrate a proven ability to plant and maintain trees for an urban local authority, to work safely to exacting standards and be able to demonstrate in particular, a proven ability to undertake all aspects of arboricultural work within intensively used and congested areas of public highway.

For a copy of the Tender documents please apply in writing to Mr S. Fuller.

Delivery to: Inner London - West.

NUTS code: UKI11.

Suppliers: City Suburban Tree Surgeons, Larkhall Park, Larkhall Lane, London SW8 2PX. Tel: 020 7720 1555. Fax: 020 7720 1444. Email:[email protected] Website: http://www.citysuburban.co.uk

Reference number: 1

Date of contract award: 27.3.2009.

Number of tenders received: 10.

[Mesterh]

Contractors will be required to be approved by the Arboricultural Association, to demonstrate a proven ability to plant and maintain trees for an urban local authority, to work safely to exacting standards and be able to demonstrate in particular, a proven ability to undertake all aspects of arboricultural work within intensively used and congested areas of public highway.

 

Err I thought they couldnt do that.

[John Hancock]

I’ve just been put on our councils approved contractors list – i.e. I’m council and I’m on my own list!! Great! ££££££’s