Moosewood

Try Green Corridor or groundworks or another voluntary sector organisation. They will often take someone one and give them training for free - may not get tickets paid for, but would totally be a good experience/CV booster

I think part of the problem (mainland UK) is that DEFRA take care of some stuff and the FC takes care of others. SO if the outbreak is a pest affecting forest trees the FC will stump up the money where as if its in a plant nursery its likely DEFRA. If the problem is with a tree in a city then they will argue over who is responsible for enforcement and thus who should pay for it and the pest will get further out of control (a-la-OPM in London). Beurocracy...

Realy nice work. How long have you been turning? I have recently started and am wondering how long it will take before I get good enough to do the kinda stuff your doing. Thanx

Just trim the hedge back to its natural pruning line and swear that it is 40% (it is subjective…). It is so much hassle for a local authority to prosecute that if the homeowner made any effort to correct the situation, I think that they would leave them alone, especially if it is an old lady. Prosecuting an old lady is the last type of busy-body press that a Council wants these days. OR After looking through the Section 154 of the Highways Act (1980) and my first questions would be: 1. Has your client been served a formal notice under section 154 or just a request/letter? 2. Does the hedge currently obstruct the passage of pedestrians? If your client only has a letter (polite or not) and you think that passage of a pedestrian is not obstructed then email (email cause there is a record) the council, dept and officer involved stating that while you foresee that an obstruction may occur in the future that in your expert opinion (state qualifications/experience at the end of the email) it would be best to prune the hedge in accordance with RHS best horticultural practice. Therefore you propose to spread this drastic pruning over 2 or 3 years by trimming the hedge back by 20% this year and follow up the job by 20% next year. State that you feel this will ensure that the hedge continues to add to the attractiveness of the local landscape. …maybe just follow the first option as council officers often get into a tizzy over nothing and it could just become a big headache.

Thanks Guys, I will take a look and if I find out anything I will let you all know.

Just a question: Does anyone know when the 2011 comps are this year? Thanks