Duty of care

[Matthew Arnold]

I came across this today whilst doing our RoW maintenance rounds. It was only just in the tree and was within falling distance of a very well used UCR (Unclassified County Road). I went to the nearest farm to ask if they knew about a hung up dead branch in a large oak coming from their field. They said yes and gave us the go ahead to make the limb safe (on the deck). 5 minutes later the rope was up and attached to the van and made safe. No pics of during or after sadly as camera battery went flat.

[wildwood-dwt]

Looks like just a bark crack to me but if you climbed it and notified him, maybe he should have suggested a climbing inspection be completed? Safe side of caution?

[Mesterh]

what book do i need? seriously?

 

because of my logic, i understand trees an their contribution - but in this age where once managed woodlands are left to nature and houses are built next to ancient water passes with stunning but dangerous trees - which also have tpo's.

whats the new criteria?

i want wages if its a 3days of paperwork!

 

TBH im not entirely sure but it would include Dying and Dangerous rather than diseased and damaged.

 

Damaged would probably allow a vast number of TPO'D trees to be removed.

[Jesse]

Duty of care lies with the owner of the tree OR the last proffesanal to inspect or advise the owner. Local Authoriteis will use every excusse that they can think of to get out of an issue. i could tell you a thing or to but id better not.

[Jesse]

Hamadryard nice to meet you, my last thought for you when in the winter months you mite look up into the canopy of this Acer pseudoplatanuus and see those brown retained leaves of that over crown raised tree what will your thoughts be then? will sun scorch have been the trigger for that latant problem? what do you think? id be much more interested in your thouhgts as to a suitable replacement taking into account climatic change. regards kjames.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Hamadryard nice to meet you, my last thought for you when in the winter months you mite look up into the canopy of this Acer pseudoplatanuus and see those brown retained leaves of that over crown raised tree what will your thoughts be then? will sun scorch have been the trigger for that latant problem? what do you think? id be much more interested in your thouhgts as to a suitable replacement taking into account climatic change. regards kjames.

 

I think climate change is a natural process, and am not overly concerned in altering the species we have native to England just yet.

 

as for your latent problem, which one?

[RobArb]

I think he refered earlier in the thread about the ovrr excessive crown taise and I forgot to reply.

 

unfortunately that is the spec we have to work to, i've tried to go against the grain (no pun intended) and do the job to what I think would be bes but the job gets failed and we end up having to go back to it because either the TO or client isn't happy and wants more done:thumbdown:

 

So I agree the crown raise is high but theres nothing I can do about that at the moment

[Paul Jenks]

I thought the common name for acer psuedoplatanus was weed.

As for duty of care. It is the tree owners responsibility to look after his/her trees. If a tree surgeon/arboriculturalist is qualified and, importantly, insured to report on the condition of a tree then the buck stops with the reporter for the time his/her report is limited to, usually a year. If the TO chooses to override a report then the TO assumes responsibility. If this is the case it would be prudent to assess the tree again in a year and allow the TO to override it again.

We had a case with a large tree close to houses that I said was too tall given the history of groundworks and proximity to new builds. Tree was TPO'd and I requested a minimum of a reduction to mitigate potential for windthrow. Arguements went to the regional government office and TPO was renewed. It fell over 4 weeks later and the LATO had assumed responsibility for 12 months. Damn lucky, the tree was 30 metres and missed everything. A stunt fell would have put it in the same place, only slot available. LA had to foot the clear up bill.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Hi mate the trees ruined from the over exsessive crown raise but if you want my advice cut to ground level as it will have cryptostroma corticale anyway and when you show the TO the staining in the grain he will probably leave you alon in the future.

 

Argh this post is what you refer to:thumbup1:

 

 

Sooty bark is a lethal disease of Acer pseudoplatanus. It is characterized by wilt, die-back, bark shedding and by the production of a thick layer of brownish black, dry phialospores in the bark by a fungus invading the cambium and phloem of affected trees. It has spread continuously in and around Wanstead Park, Essex, since 1945. The fungus has been identified as the North American species Coniosporium corticale Ell. & Ev., which is now made the type of a new genus Cryptostroma, because of characters of the stroma, conidiophores and conidia. (extract)ScienceDirect - Transactions of the British Mycological Society : Cryptostroma corticale and sooty bark disease of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)

 

Robarb, do the honours, you have my mail!

 

I dont think this tree is colonised by sooty bark, even in a latent form, I think it is a vigorous tree with some scale (cryptococcus sp) indicating iether poultion and or stress.

[RobArb]

tomorrow, wifey calls:lol: