Gary Prentice

Maybe they've heard of some people's opinions of migrants!

Kevin & Edward I meant to explain better to the home owner putting their own apps in.

Being pedantic, trees don't 'heal' wounds and no tree is 'safe'. At this wound there's certainly evidence of adaption to the change in stresses. I'd be starting off with Matthecks T/r ratio (bearing in mind the issues involved in that), looking at the canopy size/ exposure, changes in the surroundings/tree position/clients tolerance/aversion to risk etc If the remaining stem wall is within limits and there's no indications of buckling/kinking, don't worry about it. Do you think that the tree is producing new wood at a quicker rate than the internal wood is losing strength? Signs of vitality? A good canopy only says that there is good hydraulic function (which is in the outer circumference of the stem and being added to/replaced annually, it's not always a good indicator of structural strength. If you're struggling to reach a conclusion that you're confident with, try to get someone more experienced to look at it with you, if nothing else you'll learn something (everyday's a school day) and there's nothing wrong with saying "I don't know", I say it regularly Good luck.

But if the moisture content in the cavity is high, or the cavity is full of water, the conditions inhibit fungal colonisation due to the anaerobic conditions - every cloud has a silver lining.

Sorry Edward, I missed your reply. The clients are elderly and probably can't afford a lot of technical/professional input. What I was trying to ascertain was some views on the situation. I'm going to do a couple of trial digs over the weekend to see what the slab depth is and what's under it. If there's a whacking great root at the start of the crack we can go from there, but what happens if there is a 50mm diameter root under a 150mm thick slab? I've done a fair few TPO apps involving light structure damage/actionable damage ( all the way to appeal in a case both the LA and I hoped would answer some 'grey area' nuisance acceptions) but nothing involving this type of construction. Speaking to them this evening I've said again that I can't stray outside my field because it would be wrong to do so, but it doesn't hurt to learn more about the associated issues.

I really should give the Portal another go. Currently I email a PDF of the app/submission, with any plans/photos merged into one document. All our local authorities send an immediate automatic response of receipt so we know they've got them. I don't know how many tree-owners actually request a Pre -app discussion, very few from personal experience as we get loads of 20% thin customers asking how much smaller/lower is the tree going to be. TBH in the councils position I'd probably be wanting to charge, being forced to listen to the barrage of complaints about Satellite receptions, bin bags full of leaves, shade and other perceived nuisances. I do occasionally request a pre-app meeting if I'm unsure myself whether consent would be forthcoming, on trees that may not have much merit but are still protected in some way so I can get an idea of the TOs feelings towards them. The response from planning is always "Why?" I don't understand this, The PO and TO have to go out anyway, so why not thrash out a deal in a ten minute meeting and then get an application based on that? They're not going to go to the site again. Err No I'm here to help and I dont see an us and them were on teh same side; whats the best option for the tree(s). Who do you mean Roz? Most of the 'them' I meet have no interest at all in the tree, the only interest is to get what they want For sure. Manchester council wouldn't validate one of mine because I wanted to do a small reduction on a 4m yew, I think I used a percentage or 'reduce by' figure so they sent it back. I checked the regs and couldn't complain, so now provide a radial branch spread after reduction - the climber then knows what I'm after, the client knows and doesn't batter the climbers head for a 'bit lower/shorter'. I wish they would toughen up personally, it would save a lot of confusion along the line. Maybe spend a bit of time on the LA website explaining what they will and won't allow, and the details required to validate an app.

Design! Bloody predictive text! Decision, a written decision.

Felled six TPOd trees yesterday and submitted the application four hours later! beat that! I don't care how long that one takes to get a written design.

13 dead and over 50 injured in an attack in Barcelona

I feel awful now. Emailed planning this morning to highlight the submission date and I found their response unacceptable in recording the application five weeks later. I said that if the app wasn't determined eight weeks after my submission I'd be going to appeal. the TO replied with a very apologetic email, the response is computer generated and uses the day the operator inputs the details. He'd forgotten to amend to the right dates! He'd also written the consent and although he hadn't got it in the post yet who wanted us to know that we could crack on. I wish I'd sent a lot less officious email and been a lot more friendly in my approach.

I was only kidding! But because the other party wouldn't 'man up' and accept responsibility I'd feel the same.

While it's nice that you're wanting to keep it, from the photos it looks like it's soon going to outgrow it's position. The fence will be disturbed and it'll cause some issuers with your workshop. Its a small tree and could easily be replaced by a new one, of a suitable mature size for its location, nearby. Sorry, probably not the answer you want, but misplaced retention inevitably leads to problems later.

I'd imagine that you're extremely stressed by the whole situation, all the letters, phone calls, loss of sleep worrying about the court appearance etc. Must be verging on PTSD I think you might need counselling and a script for anti-depressants at the least. when you get over it, then you might reconsider a claim

I met someone today who has a imprinted concrete surfacing across the width of the back garden. It's started to crack from one fence line to the other. The crack is widest at the end nearest an offsite tree, a semi-mature hornbeam (definitely a hornbeam Stubby), dbh of @600mm situated about 1500mm from the start of the crack. The slab is about 5 years old, damage became noticeable towards the end of last summer. The tree is owned by a LAMO, a housing association, who are demanding a structural engineers, or similar, report and evidence that the tree is the cause. Okay, a couple of questions; The slab that has cracked is approximately 5 x 5 m. There's a couple of adjoining slabs which are much smaller with expansion/construction joints separating them. The cracked slab seems quite large to me and I wonder if the crack is nothing to do with the tree but due to contraction/expansion of the slab. A bit of research online gives widely different guides relating to sizes and joints. Thoughts/experiences anyone? If we start to do some digging and come across live roots going under the slab, what sort of size would they have to be? - to be claiming 'on the balance of probability' that they're the cause. The garden's covered in concrete apart from a narrow border to the bottom, furthest from the house. At around the centre point of the edge a second crack is also starting which, if it continues, will go on to meet the larger crack about midway. On the other side of that fence is a sycamore of a similar size to the hornbeam.

Lot's! the thread is officially back on track

Don't think discussion about trees is allowed in this thread......

Yeah, that don't really need roots anyway.

I think I've sussed you out, you're educating yourself about the establishment and the system, infiltrating it and planning on changing it from the inside Parish Council - tick box, Magistrate/JP - still gaining experience. MP for Cornwall in the pipeline?

Does anyone think the issue lies not with arboriculturist, but rather the word arboriculture? I suspect a lot of people don't recognise horticulturist, which I think has been in common usage for a lot longer, so the derivatives of arboriculture- arborist, arboriculturist & arboricultural consultant are puzzling to most. I've used arborist as 'occupation' for years, the look of puzzlement that it invokes amuses me. If I'm feeling particularly mischievous I use arboriculturist.

There's no reason not to have a butt, apart from planning/TO could justifiably point out that it would be reliant on the householder actually activating it, instead of watering the tomatoes. My approach would be to adapt 'my system' with rows of pipes across the width, not just along the outer walls. This system, as is, will put a lot of water in the rain shadow area of the exterior wall, which doesn't do much for soil moisture levels distance from it. The collection area (roof) will be similar in square metreage to the voided area, so over-watering shouldn't be an issue. Localised over-watering if levels aren't correct would be an issue- like having a blocked gulley at the bottom of a downpipe where the surrounding soil gets excess and becomes waterlogged. im sure with that there will be case studies online somewhere.

Think the word you're looking for is arboriculturist.

I don't see why not. I found this http://www.rainwaterirrigation.co.uk/ last night, option 2 does away with the Water butt, but I wonder how difficult it would be to balance the system, to make sure some areas didn't get over-watered and others under. This jobs interesting, with the number of issues to overcome and explain.

Usually email to planning admin and cc to the particular office who deals with tree apps. I'll email the authority to remind them the submission date was 7th July (we have a receipt response) and that the determination date is eight weeks from then, not 12th August! I don't want to waste my time going to appeal, for non determination, but will do if they don't play fair. I've made fuss with different councils for the last ten years, forced a few changes and caused a bit of trouble, but I'm pragmatic now. I recognise the position a lot of departments are in, so as long as there's some give and take I don't bother too much - as long as the client isn't on my case! TO has been great today, I asked Friday for a meeting, met this afternoon and because of the situation he's given consent to do the work tomorrow, if we need to. How do complain if you have to wait a bit longer, to lift someone's tree in a back garden?

All these have TO's, it's planning that seems to be the issue. met our local one this afternoon regarding 5-6 trees in an area order. Need to come out now to allow watercourse management. Had consent to do before leaving the site meeting

I submitted an app on 7th of July and so, when a letter landed today, I thought that it had been determined. The letter informs me they've received my application and, subject to it containing sufficient information for validation, I'll get an answer in six to eight weeks! I submitted a 211 and an app to another authority, two weeks later I get a letter to say one site is in a CA, the has TPOd trees on it??? Really! After phone calls and emails, they then ask me to send copies because they can't find the originals. Currently averaging 3-4 months to get an app determined, S211,s over five if at all. Five day notices? I don't think I've even had an acknowledgement for the last three. How much worse is it going to get?