Where do you see arb heading in the next decade?

[Frankie Lawrence]

Forums were built for debate. People behind computer screens and false names generally say alot more than if they were debating in real life. Simples

 

 

Is it true that NFU have stopped insuring people who are newly qualified / certificated. If this is true and other insurance companies take a similar stand, this could make a huge difference to Arb in the next few years.

 

I heard that they arnt insuraning anyone cutting above 15meters I think.

 

The rumour you heard does that mean if you pass from a certain date then they wont ever insure you or does it mean that you have to have a certain years exp?

[Johny Walker]

I'm beginning to wonder, from a point of interest. With many advocating the retention of deadwood in trees, leaving standing dead timber, not removing ivy and all the other fads that arise, I do wonder what there is left for us to actually do when we turn up for work. Maybe charge for advising not to do anything when we get there? Of course we could make dead limbs safer by ripping off a couple of limbs with a fracture technique, and of course if the trees could talk they wouldnt choose to have anything cut off at all, but where would this leave the scores being churned out of college, or for that matter any of us? There is only so much maintenance work that trees require, and in theory that should last around 5years. I do think this may be why tree work is slacker than for many years, an over-populated industry hacking away at every available tree in the neighbourhood til there is nothing left needing doing.

Many of the conifer hedges planted in the 70's/80's have now been ripped out and replaced with larchlap fencing, as people realise how detrimental they are to the gardens, and indeed how expensive they are to maintain. Another of the arbs bread-and-butter jobs disappearing.

 

well in the next 10 yrs i will be retiring from my life in trees ,thats unless 1, off my 2,girls or mi son , or all of them decide its ther future ,then i will be into the death ,it would make me so proud if just 1, of them follwed me on which would make them 3,rd genaration ,iv looked bk on how tree work has changed in the last 30yrs ,& feel the need that folk will need more universty type qualifercations than formal ones to do the job ,which may be a good thing or maybe not we wil see ,or is that me been cynical in my old age ,

[Big 'Ammer]

I heard that they arnt insuraning anyone cutting above 15meters I think.

 

The rumour you heard does that mean if you pass from a certain date then they wont ever insure you or does it mean that you have to have a certain years exp?

 

Several weeks ago, my local Nfu representative phoned me out of the blue and offered to quote for PL and EL insurance.

 

(FTR, I am with Trust and have found them helpful and very competative for my needs.)

 

I enquired about whether there were any height restrictions, as I'd heard there were and if so,that this was not for me.

 

They said the standard terms were climbing 6 metres and felling 15 metres.

 

I asked if this could be waived, they were going to speak to the underwriters / head office / whatever and they are still going to get back to me .....

[Frank]

The rumour I heard was that you would have to basically prove experience on the job before they would insure you on your own. this is a good thing I think.

[renewablejohn]

Lets not be pessimistic. As oil runs out history has shown that wood is an easy alternative to turn into everyday fuels so I see the forest area of the UK increasing dramatically.

[Mike Hill]

I personally don't think the next Ten years willmean many more changes than the last.

 

Most of us source the bulk of our work in the Private sector.This work caters for the needs of clients with little or no Arb knowledge.I can count on one hand the number of times private Clients have requested copies of my insurance or qualifications.Also the work that we sometimes do is in no way any more sympathetic to the Trees than the work carried out at any time in the past 20 years.

 

Our clients in the Public sector do demand insurance and proof of quals.However they typically know what works they require and we work to that Rule.Some exceptions have been Coronet cuts or Tree retention when the original intend was for the Trees to be felled.

 

As I have said in the past,we provide a service and that service depends on the customers demands.

[Paul Barton]

I think that specialised areas of Arb will grow and establish, but on the whole arb will look pretty similar.

 

All the above discussion regarding new techniques and a more holistic approach to tree management/conservation/ecology is evidence that new awareness and markets are growing which can only be a good thing.

 

However, as long as trees continue to exist in very close proximity to people and buildings, the bread and butter work of pruning and felling will go on.

 

That's my over-simplified view anyway.

[TREE-SURGEON-ESSEX]

If there are no more trees ill buy a lawn mower and start on the grass lol.

 

There will always be trees as we remove trees people plant trees. i hope the industry shrinks which it will by force.

 

I already see many climbers groundsmen asking for work willing to work cheap as the work is so tight wont be long before they are forced into new lines of work.

 

The balance of life applies to everything We will hit saturations then decline then all over again.

 

I must say my council are brilliant they have planted trees on every piece of grass within the whole borough kerching lol.