TPO'd Sycamore.

[gmanntpo]

Thank you Welwel!!

 

Cheers mate!

[Treeworld]

Morning,

The TO in question is an approachable guy who normally is very reasonable, will speak to the client and get another meeting with him, as minch said the consultancy route plus cost of dismantling together would be an OUCH moment for the client. I will suggest a replant of a slow grower ie. oak, yew. will keep posted and thanks Gmann for the POV from a tree officer.

 

Dave

[gmanntpo]

Hi mate

 

Glad that was of use. If the T.O is an ok guy, then hopefully he will come round. Nevertheless, I consider the following points are relevent:

 

1. Why did the T.O not inspect the tree before the the TPO was made??? It is absolutely unacceptable to make a TPO without first undertaking a VTA!!

 

2. If the T.O did undertake an inspection then, presumeably he/she considered the defects not be a barrier to making the TPO??

 

3. As you are no doubt aware, the new 1app forms require expert evidence to be submitted as part of an app to fell. Otherwise it maybe sent back to you requesting further info...

 

4. If this is the case, you maybe forced to go down the consultant route, or, if the app is accepted but refused then let the appointed arb planning inspector make the call...

 

5. Finally, I know that consultants can be expensive, but we are in an evolving industry, that is becoming more of a specialised profession all the time. Whether you are working as a front line arborist, or an consultant, I consider the fees should reflect our highly unique skills....

 

Cheers

[Giles Hill]

5. Finally, I know that consultants can be expensive, but we are in an evolving industry, that is becoming more of a specialised profession all the time. Whether you are working as a front line arborist, or an consultant, I consider the fees should reflect our highly unique skills....

 

Cheers

 

Quite right, but with a bit of phoning around I reckon you could find someone competent and qualified who would do it for rather less than £500.00.

[scudmonster]

Hi mate

 

No offence dude, but the pics are a little blurry.. Nevertheless I consider that you can rule out Sooty Bark disease (Cryptostorma corticle). From your pic of the tree from a distance, it does not appear to be showing the symptoms of the disease and the fruit bodies don't match, you get that black mass spore layer under the dead bark, hence the name.

 

It could however be Smokey Polypore (Bjerkandera adusta) or Silver leaf (Chondrostereum purpureum. Both can occur on Sycamore, although Bjerkandera is perhaps more likely...

 

Nevertheless, its a little accademic! Why the hell would the TO put a TPO on a tree like this (I say this as a TO myself..)

 

I really do despair sometimes!!!!! The tree is clearly in a structural poor condition. It could even, as you said, be in the DDD catagory. If this is the case then the TPO should never have been made..

 

The work specified by the TO, is also, in my opinion plain stupid! What the hell is a 15% crown reduction supposed to achieve???

 

I should imagine that the order is 'proposed' and not confirmed and the six month section 201 directive is running.

 

My advice is to have an assessment of the SULE of the tree either by you or a consultant. If, as likely, this is low, then apply to fell it, with a good quality replacement tree planting specified as part of the app.

 

If the LA are stupid enough to refuse it, then appeal and the planning inspectorate will back you up and they'll be made to look rather silly as their actions are just so backward with no concept of urban silviculture and forward thinking!! Hello this is the 21st century!!!

 

Hope this is useful!!!!

 

Cheers

 

me thinks this is due the tree officer wanting a report being carried out on the tree before he/she condemns the tree.

I, as a former tree officer would have cringed at the thought of crown reduction of any tree due to lack of guarantees of future maintenance.

The other thing we are not sure of is what is the training of the TO, are they a landscape architect with trees included in their remit, a planner or a qualified Arborist.

All a bit of a side issue but hey.

[gmanntpo]

Very valid points Scudmaster!

 

The £500 was a general estimate for a days work for a consultant. Am sure that a bit of negotiation would get the price down...

[skyhuck]

Very valid points Scudmaster!

 

The £500 was a general estimate for a days work for a consultant. Am sure that a bit of negotiation would get the price down...

 

£500 a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

With what equipment??? a pencil!!!!!!!!!!

 

So a salary before tax of around £100K!!!!!!!!!

[gmanntpo]

Hi Skyhuck

 

Do you really think £500 a day is expensive for an expert service??? Try buying a picus (14K) and a risistogrpah (6k)

 

A pencil??? What the hell does that mean??? You seem to have a very low opinion of arboriculture. Why is that? Do you not think that it is a highly skilled industry???

 

Surely if a consultant could earn such a sum (which most don't), then surely that is a good thing!!?

 

I really don't understand where you are coming from...

 

Perhaps you should join the real world!!

[Arborist Sites]

Hi Skyhuck

 

Do you really think £500 a day is expensive for an expert service??? Try buying a picus (14K) and a risistogrpah (6k)

 

A pencil??? What the hell does that mean??? You seem to have a very low opinion of arboriculture. Why is that? Do you not think that it is a highly skilled industry???

 

Surely if a consultant could earn such a sum (which most don't), then surely that is a good thing!!?

 

I really don't understand where you are coming from...

 

Perhaps you should join the real world!!

 

I think there is a mix up in this industry we deal with trees, WE ARE NOT doctors or architects, IMO 500 a day is ridiculous and the consultants charging this are greedy and are damaging the industry.....

 

You mention a picus etc,,,, land surveyors carry 40-50k equipment around with them and there day rates are 400ish, so the equipment argument falls on deaf ears.

 

I know other good consultants who charge £250- £400 a day depending on what the job is.

 

 

A simple TPO case like this would cost no more than £250

 

 

[Bundle 2]

Regardless of whether the `T.O. is a good bloke or not....there must be something missing from this "saga" thus far? There is no way that the council should be placing a confirmed TPO on a tree like this. Certainly not so that they then can put pressure on the owners to produce a report, at some cost.

It is a process used by some officers I am sure. Not one to be condoned. Perhaps the tree officer is not an arbo, has never been an arbo and is attempting to hide behind the legislation.

This episode , on the face of it, is the seemingly sloppy application of the legal procedures ( NB. not illegal ) that leads to tree owners fostering a negative view of tree ownership and our industry.

I hope you manage to sort it out without incurring unnecessary cost or drama!