Jesse

You have summed it up, bang on, spot on, i was going to say the same regarding Kritz, its one of the worst.

I have just read all your facebook attachments, to me it looks like Witley PC have acted responsibly, as they instructed the survey in the first instance, Ganoderma applanatum was identified and Kretzscheria during that survey, a drive-by survey Sept 2009 would not have identified these two problems, i think the question to be asked is why was the tree not considered to be removed. The combination of the two defects explains why the stem fracture occurred. The tree also looks like it was in a bus stop bay, Council owned, and not fallen from privately owned land ? that should be clarified.

Yes i stand corrected, i just looked up Chap 3, 1. (7) Thanks, but well worth seeking advice, it looks to me that someone has been negligent in this instance.

Few more points. First i have not read into every detail, just commenting on what i can see and what i know. 1. If the tree was inspected in the past, 3 years ago, was the decay and fungi / bracket not noted, photo 3 shows the extent of decay, photo 11 the bracket, possibly Ganoderma species . 2. As Eddy t noted, going on the photos and time it would take to develop and grow to that size its been present for 5 years or more, i just counted the annual growth ridges on the bracket (photo 11) and suggest its bracket age is closer to 9 years. 3. Lime has little resistance to decay fungi so inspections should have been more frequent, at least every year after discovering the problem. Main point i am trying to make, or point of negligence - Any recommendations made when the tree was last inspected should have included a time scale to carry out any recommendations for work, and in view of the HIGH value target area, a main road and a bus stop , a recommendation to inspect the tree on a more regular basis, at least every 12 or even every 6 months there after. Even only going on the photos it is very clear that the tree has been in very poor structural condition for a long time, don't forget, the tree came over due to major stem failure, with a very reduced sail , (No leaves present) so there must have been extensive decay present. Last point of interest, the Council responded very quickly to clearing the stump !(evidence)

Should of also asked, what physical evidence has been retained ? the bracket ? or just photographic.

The link did not work, i was trying to link it to The occupiers liability act 1984, well worth looking at, the points i would take interest in, who owns the tree, when was it last inspected, important considerations - Ganaderma , looks like adspersum on the photo, and the trees location, very High risk target, over a road, and a place such as a bus stop. If it is a Council tree, i would say they want shafting, no excesses, the tree should have documentation listing records of inspections, if they used the QTRA method with an inexperienced TO this sort of thing IS going to happen. If its privately owned, they could always argue that the tree looked ok but under cross examination they would not truly of fore filled there obligations as that type of fungus would of been present 12 mths ago, even 2 years ago looking at the size of the bracket and extent of decay in the cross section of the trunk

- Tree Consultant

Should have said, this is what you will see on living trees.

Most of the trees, Sycamores , located close by will have it, top tip, now all the leaves have dropped, go and look at the trees again, this time, dont worry about looking for bark showing , look up in the crowns of the trees, look for random patches of brown retained leaves still attached to the branches, on those trees you see them they have it, all be it in whats called its latent form and can remain in that latent form for many years ,Cryptostroma corticale only other way to see it apart from when the bark shows is when you fell the tree black staining across the rings.

Ustulina deusta

Bet shes got a great box

Sorry for my late input, but if your looking for tech bolnocs for discript reasoning Tomicus piniperda one of the photos show a clear exit hole, look closely, see if you can spot the ball, a mean hole , ' shot hole' thats something else you could highlight in your findings.

It is a lovely place, but i remember i once had a not so lovely time , 1982 as a young lad on a motorbike touring holiday around eu, i pulled onto what i believed to be a camp site with my motorbike on the Algarve , GB sticker on the mud flap and started to put up my one man tent..... only to feel stones raining down on me, i left me tent half erect ,jumpt on my motorbike and through a hail of raining stones beating down on me sped off, i had by mistake pulled onto a massive true gypsy site and as it was Malvinas season they were stoning me with rocks and not too happy. Funny what things happen in life.

Im not sure on the weight , i do know when i drove back from Penzance to Taunton with heavy duty rear springs on the hilux it sat right down, steering was light as a feather and it almost pulled weeleis at junctions. regarding pto speed i ran it on tick over on a u1200 , thats chipping on tick over on 540 pto through to the speed up gear, i used hardly any fuel on a days chipping and it never slowed the chipper, 6" 0r 7" it just sucked it all in and spat it out, when i now look back after owning other more modern chippers with things like stress control, nothing would slow the chipper or its engine speed on the mog.

Well you learn something every day, i never new you could make fruit brandy from an Arbutus unedo , i bet it tastes lovely ?

Its item number 251777491279 someone may paste it for me. i got one from new it was about £650 possibly even £700 new. Great bit of kit.

Its about 1 ton, i transported one back on a hilux once and i dont think it was over weight, what you do need to make it the muts nuts is a speed up gear, there is one on ebay for around £200 , will try and find you the number, i put one on mine and it transformed the machine, tweeks it from 540 to 1000

Looking at the distant view, and what a view, my advice when you finish , Super bock, Sagres, or Coral, you pick, on the beach .

Yes, both regs are RECOMMENDATIONS as long as who ever produces the report can quantify there report recommendations / specifications and can clarify any questions raised by planning i see no reason why not. Remember the original 5837 20% rule only apply d to single trees , but i would take into account every conceivable consideration as being worthy . Historical trenches , surface coverings , ponds, existing structures, waterways , and ground level . Consider everything not just whats specified within the 5837's .

Hello, bit of a derail this, as you sell Arb insurance for tree and stump work or i assume you sell that sort of insurance, can you incorporate insurance cover for pest control ? as a combined policy ? i am with arbsure at the moment and they can not do it. Thanks.

Hi Kevin, i think this forum is going to like you a lot, for me a think the big influence is , and i say this from some one who over the years has wounded a lot of trees under instruction, as personally i am against any wounding of trees myself, vigour, how a given tree responds , age ,sp but vigour sums it, we are all different as people, how we as humans recover is much the same as trees, old folk don't do so well as those younger ones and the same to be said for trees, but also then consider sp. some trees respond very well , from the ultimate pruning cut... copice ! pioneer will always do best , or should i say recover best, but will they live the longest ??? next spanner in the works .. well pollards are some of the oldest trees (pruned) living . They do ok.

Or a loss, as they are not accountable to the voting people who put them in power. Main benefits no expenses accountability to you or me, they are also free to tender for all the Council work, and its also damage limitation for the Council in the event of a catastrophic occurrence as it could be recorded as been outsourced. I first became aware of the problem as a Parish Councilor whilst reviewing a planing application for a school, (BS5837 ) the tree survey. I found the survey to be very low quality. Tree SP were incorrectly identified , Crown spreads were not accurate or missing, Stem diameters when they were given was referenced as DBH 1.3M and not 1.5 as they should, tree Categorys were undervalued the list went on. No name of surveyor was put to the report , after raising my concerns i was told what goes on. (Council survey) The application went straight throw, with no conditions. since then i found out a lot about what goes on .:thumbdown::thumbdown:

This is how it works ... they can undercut , not buy asking the client the old ' Whats been your best price' no need, with everything paid for , tools, equipment , holidays, ppe. the client just gets given a stupid low price, thats it. The so called LA tree , what should we call him, ??? tree person, often its just some body on the council with no qualifications above level 3 in charge of Arb who landed the job as a boy into dead mans shoes, who by then just by getting the job gets a big uppy from his shiny arsed council line manager who is more likely to have a level 3 qualification in Green keeping they all have no concept of pricing real jobs, ..... because they don't live in the real world, even in house tenders are banded around only to those within the tight group who know how it works taking turns to get the work. i have worked for the LPA so know fist hand what goes on. going back to the pricing, they normally tag all the private work onto or close to a council job anyway and then if the private job goes over, tag those hours as council work to the council job , which they do not have to price for.

Have a merry one too , thought you would have been drunk by now , with a lady, iv only just started, have a great one Tom.

You haven't used all that timber have you ???? i,m nearly out as well.