Council tree too close to my house!

[Tommy Hutchinson]

If you let it grow you will get “heave” and if you take the tree away won’t there be “subsidence” from where the roots have ventured underneath the house. Catch 22!!!

 

May be you could work out the how far the root spread goes under the house and then work out the roughly the thickness of the roots, then work out if it will have any substantial impact on the houses foundations if you take the tree out thus killing the roots.

 

You could dig up your garden (a little) to see the impact from the roots?

 

Are there any visible signs of root activity in the garden?

[Le Sanglier]

If you let it grow you will get “heave” and if you take the tree away won’t there be “subsidence” from where the roots have ventured underneath the house. Catch 22!!!

 

May be you could work out the how far the root spread goes under the house and then work out the roughly the thickness of the roots, then work out if it will have any substantial impact on the houses foundations if you take the tree out thus killing the roots.

 

You could dig up your garden (a little) to see the impact from the roots?

 

Are there any visible signs of root activity in the garden?

 

You have got heave and subsidence the wrong way round, the rest of the post is daft, it's a Goat Willow, cut it down poison the stump.

[Tommy Hutchinson]

You have got heave and subsidence the wrong way round, the rest of the post is daft, it's a Goat Willow, cut it down poison the stump.

 

Fairplay, allways nice to be shot down, how little you try and make me feel.

 

sub·side:

 

1. To sink to a lower or normal level

 

I said that if the roots die there would be subsidence. How was i wrong ?

 

Heave:

 

1. To lift or haul with great effort.

 

I said if you let the tree grow, there will be heave. How was I wrong?.

 

Yes I may not have alot of experience in this area and was only trying to help.

 

Is this site for "educating" people, or belittling?

 

I am only trying to learn and implying that my post is "daft" is not very nice.

 

Maybe Le Sanglier I have rpercieved your comment in the wrong way, but you certainly did not present it in the nicest manner.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Don't take it heart Thomas, keep posting! 2 problems with an Arb discussion forum:

 

1) the Arb world has plenty of people with testicles bigger than brains

 

2) it is, after all, a discussion forum! If you post there will always be someone out there with a different view and let's face it, if you put 5 Arb guys in a room and asked 1 question, you'd get at least 9 different answers!

 

Keep your chin up mate!

[Le Sanglier]

Fairplay, allways nice to be shot down, how little you try and make me feel.

 

sub·side:

 

1. To sink to a lower or normal level

 

I said that if the roots die there would be subsidence. How was i wrong ?

 

Heave:

 

1. To lift or haul with great effort.

 

I said if you let the tree grow, there will be heave. How was I wrong?.

 

Yes I may not have alot of experience in this area and was only trying to help.

 

Is this site for "educating" people, or belittling?

 

I am only trying to learn and implying that my post is "daft" is not very nice.

 

Maybe Le Sanglier I have rpercieved your comment in the wrong way, but you certainly did not present it in the nicest manner.

point no 1 (in simplistic terms)

Heave is where you take away a tree that was taking lots of water from the soil, result being the ground becomes waterlogged and can raise or "heave" the building,

Subsidence is where a trees roots take water from the soil and cause cracks in the soil then the building.

 

This guy came onto the forum for professional advice and to be honest yours was poor and uninformed. I just can't be nice about that sort of thing.

[Tommy Hutchinson]

Ok :-)

[difflock]

PQP

My question was indeed prescient.

If the bush/tree was present when you purchased the house a month ago, why has it only now become a problem?

Regards

Marcus

PS

I get berated about "dangerous" trees that were well established when the complainents bought the properties.

Or blocking their view, or leaves in gutters, or hiding peadofiles.

This puzzles me somewhat.

Edited June 7, 2013 by difflock

[armybloke]

Consideration for the following is advised;

 

This species of tree is not accepted as appropriate by most councils so the TO is likely to look in favour of applying common sense should this tree be causing a nuisance. This species is likely to respond to pruning in such a way that the regrowth will be a financial burden on the council to maintain.

 

You may be advised to exercise your right to prune back to boundary and if this is the case I suggest a hard prune til nothing overhangs to give you a gap year before having to address this again.

 

The council maybe in favour of removal should they see fit.

 

Heave can be an issue despite some never seeing it, it is apparent, I and I have experienced two instances in the past. The key here (as others have impressed upon you) is the need to establish the facts. Your house foundations (if built in the last 40 years or so) will have taken into account clay and dug them to a depth to overcome subsidence and heave. Also weigh up the cost of removal of the tree compared with bi-annual pruning against underpinning the tree. If you can subsequently prove the tree causes heave or subsidence you can approach the council for remediation costs but your investigative work must be proven, substantiated and upheld against appeal. This can take years!

 

My preferred and obvious option (subject to CA and TPO checks) is to prune back to boundary of the council will not take action.

[TKO]

My opinion is the same as many of the other guys on here.

 

I would contact the TO and ask if there is anything the council can do about it (prune back/remove).

 

If they seem reluctant to take care of it, offer to A) pay for an approved contractor to carry out the removal B) pay for an approved contractor to prune back to boundary line.

 

If they are strict, using an approved contractor to carry out the work may encourage them to take that route. This should also protect you against getting ripped off and ensure a decent standard of works is carried out.

 

Can't guarantee that they will definitely go for it, however it is likely. Hopefully they will just offer to take care of it for you though.

 

Hope this of help

[treequip]

My opinion is the same as many of the other guys on here.

 

I would contact the TO and ask if there is anything the council can do about it (prune back/remove).

 

If they seem reluctant to take care of it, offer to A) pay for an approved contractor to carry out the removal B) pay for an approved contractor to prune back to boundary line.

 

If they are strict, using an approved contractor to carry out the work may encourage them to take that route. This should also protect you against getting ripped off and ensure a decent standard of works is carried out.

 

Can't guarantee that they will definitely go for it, however it is likely. Hopefully they will just offer to take care of it for you though.

 

Hope this of help

 

For the pruning works the council cant insist on using an approved contractor any more than the general public can, if the contractor is operating on their land they can condition things like insurance but not an approved contractor.

 

There are plenty of good contractors out there approved or not