ScottF

Thanks for the comments, guys. Yes, a staff page is on the cards once I can find an angle from which a picture of me won't scare the punters away. From my point of view, it's a starting point and we'll twiddle about with it as we go along, hopefully improving on it along the way. The feedback's a great help with this. Best Scott Welcome to FairleyArb.com

Mr Ed used to provide David Nash with his wood. Bit of Welsh trivia there.

Cheers, Paul Well, if I get snowed under on the surveying side, I'll know who to ring. Best Scott

Hi Thanks for the comments on the site. Having had a look at the site, I can see what you mean about the white on grey text and the the client's links- I reckon I'll change those. With regards the pictures, the original draft of the site, which is still live at Fairley Arb Tree Consultancy, features my own photographs which I thought weren't "corporate" enough. Having looked at both I might change them back. With regards the grammar issues, it is meant to be "arboriculture and landscape management" because arboriculture and landscape management are two distinct streams to the business. Also, the apostrophe in "years'" is correct because the years are plural and they refer to me, (i.e. I'm the subject).

Hi All, after several years of procrastination I've managed to get a website together. I'd very much welcome any comments and/or suggestions. The site is at Welcome to FairleyArb.com . I've also recently bitten the bullet and bought a Picus, so I'm looking to get it out there working if anyone has any borderline trees which might benefit from a more detailed examination. I'm based in Bangor in North Wales, but happy happy to travel for interesting work. Cheers, Steve

Congratulations! We just had a little girl (Olivia) 5 weeks ago. Girls seem to sleep much better than boys (presumably setting them up for the life of leisure to which they become accustomed). All the best.

It's a fell, that's what it is.

Good girl! Have a biscuit.

I think the acid test for voting for a potential political candidate is whether you'd choose to have a pint with the person in question. Would you have a pint with any of these cretins? I wouldn't. Imagine having a pint with David Cameron? I'd glass him before the second round. Why would you actively agree to be legislated to by someone you wouldn't be seen in public with? Besides, voting only encourages them.

iPhone, Otterbox case and "doodle jump". An ideal combo for whiling away effortless hours in the rain.

What he said. But remember that they often recover (albeit often in a slightly uglified condition) so give it a chance, I reckons.

Are they his trees?

Could these trees be causing a nuisance (in the legal sense), and be exempted from the TPO? From the guide: "6.9 The LPA's consent is not required for cutting down or carrying out work on trees so far as may be necessary to prevent or abate a nuisance. The term 'nuisance' is used in a legal sense, not its ordinary everyday sense." It seems to be that preventing access to an existing dwelling could certainly constitute a nuisance. If building up with a geoweb or similar solution were seen to be impractical, he may have a good reason to apply to have them felled under the exemption. Discuss.

Great-looking website and excellent pics of your work. So it is.

I'm sure the cops will deal with this with their usual utter lack of alacrity. It makes you wonder what might have happened if Louise had decided to remonstrate with this scum. Utter scum.

Just spotted this beauty on eBay: LANDROVER DISCOVERY 3.9V8 bobtail off roader trail back on eBay (end time 11-Mar-10 17:59:50 GMT) Clearly, the exquisite art of the British coachbuilder is alive and well. What a machine.

Congratulations! Got number 2 due any minute myself. Goodbye slumber! Best of lck.

Just figured out what a PITA is.

Again, from: Tree Preservation Orders: A Guide to the Law and Good Practice "6.3 A dead or dying tree may provide a habitat for plants and wildlife protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Trees with hollows or crevices, for example, provide important natural roost sites for many bat species covered by the 1981 Act. Anyone proposing to carry out work on a tree which is used as a roost for bats should first consult English Nature". I've personally never seen this enforced after the fact, but I have been asked to supervise work with a bat licence holder to ensure the work was done as per a method statement involving lowering and inspecting all cut sections.

The way I'd read the Guide is that you have to go through the same 5-day notification process to remove dead wood as you do to fell a tree under DDD, but the language is admittedly pretty ambiguous. It says: "6.2 The LPA's consent is not required for cutting down or carrying out work on trees which are dead or dying or have become dangerous. In the Secretary of State's view, this exemption allows the removal of dead wood from a tree or the removal of dangerous branches from an otherwise sound tree." This to me suggests that notification is still required for dead wood removal as well as felling. I suppose another way of reading it is that neither felling or deadwooding require any permission until you read: "6.6 Anyone proposing to cut down a tree under this exemption is advised to give the LPA five days' notice before carrying out the work, except in an emergency. Anyone who is not sure whether the tree falls within the exemption is advised to obtain the advice of an arboriculturist." Then again, the language is pretty vague- I mean what does "advised" mean in this context? It's pretty fuzzy. There's also the point that you'd still be subject to potentially having to prove that the limb was dead if the TO thought (for whatever reason) that the work shouldn't have been carried out. I know 95% of the time you wouldn't get pulled up on this, but like I said above, I find implementation even in neighboring authorities, to be really patchy. I personally always notify when I condemn a tree, usually in the form of a very brief report with pictures, which I often email in. Then it's on the record and you're covered. If you're diligent like this then I find when you do have to call up the TO and report a tree which is really knackered and really dangerous, they view it in context and take it seriously.

Guilty until proven innocent in this case, I'm afraid. As it says on the TPO guide: " 6.7 If work is carried out on a protected tree under this exemption (or any of the other exemptions listed below), the burden of proof to show, on the balance of probabilities, that the tree was dead, dying or dangerous rests with the defendant." The 5 day notification is there to keep unscrupulous people from felling trees which are, for example, constraining a development, and then claiming the tree was "knackered" (if I had a quid for every time a developer told me to say that a tree was "knackered" I'd be loaded). As for the tree in the picture being exempt from the TPO, it may well qualify, but the LA might rather it was deadwooded or pollarded while a replacement gets established. I just find that the implementation of the DDD guidance is so patchy it's just easier to document the case and jump through the hoops. If there's a massive lump of dead wood in the tree that's likely to fall off, ask the TO on the phone (maybe email a pic) if you can remove the limb, or put some barrier tape around the tree.

Lots of different LA's have different views as to what constitutes a "dying" tree, and if you're seen to have got it wrong, the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate that the tree was exempt. Pictures emailed or otherwise sent into the LA are always a good idea where they support your case. For the pics you've attached I'd say a normal application to fell would be best. Do you think they're about to fall over?

Looks superficial to me. You might have to find another excuse to fell it (see Dean's koala safety excuse, above). It might injure a kookaburra's feet upon alighting? Looked pretty good in the picture to me. I like eucies in other people's gardens.

Have you had a look at one of the Spons external works price books. They're issued every year and are expensive, but offer measured rates for all things landscaping. They're particularly useful when you're getting into a new aspect of work and want to get some idea of what the going rates are. Also, when you're dealing with QS's or managers, who can point out the fact that you're aware of the price books and that you're benchmarking yourself against industry rates. They'll know what these books are. Some of the best money I've ever spent has been on these things. £12 and hour if you're productive (and I'm assuming you are) is very cheap indeed. Have you had a look at adding the depreciation of your equipment and cost of fuel and adding it to your labour rates and seeing how much change you get out of £12? Best of luck.

Can a herbaceous plant "fasciate"? Not sure meself. The pics sound interesting, though, get 'em up.