Council tries to press charges for ring-barking, gets landed with £100k fine

[wicklamulla]

so how come ATC ARB went along with it, Mega bucks no doubt ?

[Sylvia]

How would the arboriculturalist justify ring-barking like that - is it ever

usual /non-nefarious practice?

[Sylvia]

http://www.villagedevelopments.com/RunScript.asp?page=113&AR=AR&Article_ID=41&ap=NewsArticleDetail.asp&p=ASP\~Pg113.asp

 

"Village Developments' managing director Nigel Greenhalgh said: "Our good name has been dragged through the mud and the council taxpayers are now significantly worse off.

"Although the order was served at the addresses of the registered owners of the land, the judge ruled it should have also been served at the same time on Village Developments, rather than by recorded delivery post.

The site is owned by Oxted Residential Ltd, of which Mr Greenhalgh is a director and shareholder ............................

In response to the ring-barking accusations, he has said: "Our proposals include plans for planting far more trees than we cut down."

[treequip]

How would the arboriculturalist justify ring-barking like that - is it ever

usual /non-nefarious practice?

 

Because they are representing the interests of their client, contractors aren't there to dob the client in, they are there to provide a service.

 

The client wants the trees gone and the LA haven't yet served the TPO, there isn't time to fell the trees before an order is served but you cant serve an order on a dead tree so ring barking it is.

 

If the planners had done their jobs better, ring barking the trees would have been illegal and probably wouldn't have happened.

 

This is just the battle that developers have with planners, it only takes one or two enthusiastic tree huggers to get the entire planning system a bad name.

 

Many developers are wary of tree issues because they can stand in the way of building and building is what they do.

[Sylvia]

Why would you ring bark rather than just get on and fell them?

[treequip]

Why would you ring bark rather than just get on and fell them?

 

If you are short for time and a TPO is imminent ring barking makes the TPO moot because the tree was dead before it was made.

[wicklamulla]

surely this is frowned upon in the Arb community or was ATC Arb justified in their actions to make money ?

[treequip]

If its not protected its fair game to protect

 

If its not protected its fair game to fell

[aspenarb]

If you are short for time and a TPO is imminent ring barking makes the TPO moot because the tree was dead before it was made.

 

Often done prior to a construction company/developer ever completing on a land deal so they are not seen as the "bad boys". When the council get wind of the proposed developer buying the land its normally to late.

 

Bob

[Bentonarb]

This site is just round the corner from me and I think that it's wrong that the council lost this .

 

As far as I am concerned ring barking should hold the same penalty as removing a TPO tree .

 

The council lost this on a technicality and the local contractor was really concerned that he was going to loose the case . After the judge ruled against the council the contractor then tried to go for legal expense which got turned down by the judge.

 

I run a business like most of you and don't like turning down work . As a Arb approved contractor and a council approved contractor it would seriously effect our work load if we were seen to be ring barking trees to aid development.

 

If a tree is not protected on a site then get on with it and get it down there is no need for this vandalism .

 

I know a few of you will disagree and that's fine your entitled to your opinion as am I .