The Root of the Problem.

[David Humphries]

Why is there still, so much disconnection between Land Management and Trees?

 

With guidelines and regulations, how does this culture still exist?

 

 

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Edited April 12, 2009 by Monkey-D

[Mike Hill]

I think its a lack of communication between contractors and the people tasked with the care of the Trees.

 

In your photo's I doubt that the works would have gone ahead if the authorities knew in advance the type and extent of the excavations?

[Andy Collins]

It exists simply because people dont care. The enforcement of regulation is at best pathetic, with one or two cases brought up yearly, a paltry fine for breaches if lucky. Even in protected areas, trees are seen as a nuisance to those trying to develop, a hindrance which if possible can be quickly over-come with an excavator. As budgets get tighter and tighter, more of these issues will come to light, corners will be cut until the square becomes a circle and rolls away out of control.

[Paul Barton]

I often wonder the same thing Dave.

 

Not far from my house there is a fantastic green space called Durdham Downs - great for picnics, football etc. At the moment there is a large funfair on the downs and the designated parking for the hundreds of cars that come and go daily is actually on the downs itslelf all over the rooting area of the trees! They are great mature limes, ash and horse chestnut that form an avenue along the side of the downs and alongside a road. I dread to think what compaction forces are affecting all the roots along the avenue.

 

The local arb officers must have seen all this but the council don't seem to have thought about asking the fair to move the car parking just 10 meters or so away from the trees. Grrrr!

[Andy Collins]

I don't think it's a culture of 'don't care' but rather a case of ignorance - People are simply unaware of the importance of good and safe root structrure. Many folk see trees as what grows above the surface, not what lies underneath.

 

Believe me, in my experience, it's def the "dont care" attitude that prevails. They push the limits of what they think they can get away with. Ignorance is no excuse, most planning is granted with strict conditions in place re: tree root protection, so how can they plead ignorance?

[Jamie]

i'd say its the don't care attitude. i've been told before that the 200+ year old beech is in the way of that new 5 bed house so can you just get rid of it / hack one side off.

 

Jamie

[Mesterh]

I can tell exactly what it is MONEY!

 

I doubt there are many groundworkers who dont know that ripping through roots doesnt damage trees, they know that it takes longer to hand dig and therefore get the excavator out.

 

Just look at the utility companies doing works in grass verges etc they all use machinery to trench out.

 

While speaking to a mate involved with quite a few companies over the years doing utility work he said that basically they would only hand dig around tree roots if someone held a gun to there heads!

 

The cost is just too high so therefore they couldnt care less.

[Stephen Blair]

if you were a turf man dave you would probably be annoyed that the soil is stacked ontop of the grass and the trees are robbing the grass of water and nutrients. the wrong trees have been planted, they were probably put there as a screen and then ignored. the priority is the grass not the trees in this case. as andy says, its a 'dont care' attitude. and also a budget thing. the person who writes the cheques will care more about the pitches

[Lee Winger]

It's beyond me, maybe they'll give me a call and expect me to sort it out with my magic air-spade wand............