benedmonds

Last week I had a job felling 3 horse chestnuts, these were deemed "dangerous" by an arb consultant during a planning application for the construction of a garage. The planning application was refused. However, in the statutory responses, the local council Consultant Arboriculturalist agreed with the consultants findings that they were dangerous and had no objection to them being removed. Would this count as a notification of intention to do works? Or does one think and additional 5 day notification would be required?

I often get a letter from the council saying they received my application/notification, but it is dated some days after I made the application via the planning portal. One particular council deems the 6 weeks starts when they get to my application/notification as the dates they use are not the same as when I sent the application. Not sure if this is right, fairly sure it isn't..

I am taking down 3 big horse chestnuts in Grantham next week, does anyone know anywhere close who will take the chip or wants the logs.. 07970325361 [email protected]

This wasn't meant to be a TO bashing thread... I want to find away we can work better together...

They may be overworked but so am I... I don't want to make more work for them and make the situation worse but it ain't working at the moment... That would be useful but also approving lesser works, a reduction rather them a pollard or fell for example.. As a contractor I can advise clients what I think the council will go for but you can't be sure. If a client wants a tree out you have to try, it would be nice if the reply was no but you can do this.. As at the moment it is another application, not knowing the likely outcome.. Why? If the owner wants to fell but if that is not allowed but a reduction would be acceptable then that could save an second application.. Never/rarely happens any more.. Just told to apply. almost certainly .. Nudging and appeals all cost more time and energy... which no one is willing to pay for.

I am getting increasingly frustrated with TPO applications at he moment, one council in-particular has cut their staff and now don't have enough to do the job. There is never anyone to talk to and applications all seem to be taking over the 8 weeks point. This makes planning and booking in works a nightmare as even jobs I am confident they will get approval for do not get it approved in time. Pre application advice is never possible...! As we are busy I provisionally book works in for after the 8 weeks, this all goes to pot when you don't hear back, it is even worse when you hear nothing for 8 weeks, send numerous emails and then get a refusal. We used to often get an informative with a refusal stating what they might accept, but these days it is just "REFUSAL" In jobs with multiple trees where there may be some dispute I have started sending individual applications for the different jobs, as otherwise you get a refusal for all the works.. This has got me thinking, in cases where the outcome is unsure, is it worth making multiple applications for different specifications, ie, one for fell, one for reduce, one for lift? It would create more work both at my end and the TO's but it could shorten the wait time as at the moment theoretically I apply for a fell get a refusal after 8 weeks, then the reduction another refusal and another 8 weeks, then another 8 weeks till the lift is accepted. 6 months ... Anyone else do this, does it just really upset the TO.. Or are there other issues?

If you have a pre 97 licence and gained C1E via grandfather rites you will have 107. The 107 means you are restricted to a train weight of 8250.

What test do you have to do to get rid of the 107 code?

Unless you have C1E 107 - not more than 8,250 kilograms train weight https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-codes

I have a client with a large leylandii hedge overhanging the boundary. The hedge has been subject to an antisocial behaviour act and recently reduced to below the actionable height of 11.5m. The hedge is two rows and cutting back to the boundary would result in the back row being killed. I have explained this to the client but he would rather see brown then have the ever expanding hedge in his garden. Obviously there are issues between the neighbours but what could the tree owner do if the neighbour cut back to their boundary resulted in killing a row of trees, even though it would not effect the tree owner much if at all. (Interestingly as a side I quoted to reduce the horrible hedge earlier in the year £1100 but the tree owner got some guys to travel up from Somerset to Derby!)

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/arb-trucks/77693-disco-pickup.html http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/arb-trucks/88199-disco-pick-up-kit.html

IME, many TO's are over protectionist. That other saying "right tree right place" also annoys me. Trees change, so a certain place might be perfect for the first 50 years of a trees life but it might outgrow it. I don't see what is wrong with removing a tree when it gets too big for it's location. I would rather have the option of planting trees that will out grow a place with the intention of removing when still in their prime then planting crappy sorbus everywhere as they don't get big. Back to the original post the appeals people may take a different view if you have a tree hugging TO. Or not if your TO has made a reasonable assessment of the tree.

Not used papertrail or arbpro but thought I would add this to the thread? Arb Pro, Tree Contracting Software for Arborists, Tree Contractors, Tree Surgeons

I rate our Isuzu it is a good truck carries the weight well, pulls well, turning circle is amazing and has been pretty reliable... But, I don't think I would get another. We took ours to a Isuzu dealer as its not been going into 4th gear, it needs a new sycromesh or something, around £1000. But the dealer told us, if they have the parts in italy it would be a few days but it might take 4-6 weeks to get the parts from Japan.. That is surely not acceptable... Luckily they had the parts in Italy but most iveco, land rover and transit bits will arrive next day.

I was just trying to help you and anyone else writing reports. I'm using the BS correctly. The way I was taught makes more sense to me and I am pretty sure they were part of the team that wrote the BS. Like I said we have to disagree.

Personally I think we have to agree to disagree..

Will you need to be LEZ compliant?

We are looking at getting someone in to operate our stump grinders on a freelance basis. Maybe 1 or 2 days a week to start and there is always the possibility of other tree work. The individual would have to be very reliable and of a careful disposition, treating the grinders as if they were there own.. We would supply truck, trailer, saw, CAT scanner, 2 grinders a Bandit HB20 and XP2450, and anything else you need.. You would need your PPE, stumpgrinder ticket, to be able to tow 3.5 tons and the ability to work without close supervision. If you are interested, drop me a line: 0797 032 5361 or send me an email. [email protected]

I don't want to going to keep going on about this but I think you are SO wrong.. Simple scenario, a plot with two trees, in one corner is a 150 year old oak good condition in the other a 50 year old leylandii also in good condition. The designer has room for a house but only if one tree is removed. A report in the way I was taught would grade the leylandii as "unremarkable" C it would be removed, protection for oak put in place, house built, no fuss no TPO's (the tree is not threatened) no expensive, time consuming fannying between council and designer etc. A report grading them as both A's would help nobody. The designer would have no information to say which tree is worth retaining and which is not. The designer might put the house in the Oaks RPA, the TO would then TPO it, causing extra time an expense. Then might try to use engineering solutions to protect the tree etc, etc..

I am not sure the the solicitors who wrote it would agree, but I am sure you know best..

This might now be out of date, but could be used as a start point.. old contract.doc

So cellwebs idea, is to put down membrane, then cellweb filled with clean angular stone then membrane and top soil on top... How much topsoil do you think would be OK? The issue is that too much soil is going to impede gas exchange, but to little and the grass is never going to grow on what will be a very free draining spot.. 30cm?

Plan of site..

They are planning to have it as lawn. My concern even with some crate system to prevent compaction it is going to end up reducing gas exchange. I will see what the cell web folk try and sell me..

I have a client developing a property. They have a mature old oak tree growing at the top of a sunken garden, they wish to fill the area so that the front garden is level. The sunken garden is approx 1m deep and has a patio base with decorative rock around the perimeter. Is there a way we can fill it up to ground level and ensure we don't damage to rooting environment below? The ground level around the trunk will remain the same..