Gary Prentice

I prefer them roasted with wine, stuffed with Quail eggs and red squirrels..

That sounds like a decadent repast. How do you cook them and what do they taste like? I won't accept 'chicken'.

Sorry Edward, but I'm a bit narked at the moment after a of refusal concerning an elm that was refused despite actionable damage to neighbours property as well as damage to the applicants. At a site meeting I demonstrated that there was no engineering solution available, at least in my knowledge of the usual options. Even should there have been, it was almost certain that a solution would be short lived before damage would reoccur. I also pointed out that it would be unfortunate that if after spending a small fortune, the tree died. The TO wouldn't be moved. He wouldn't be moved, Appeal it! (AKA, pass the buck) Six weeks on the tree is half dead, due to DED. After submitting a 211 notice, the LA served a TPO on an elm the owner wanted to fell. Four weeks later I looked at it again and it, as well as a 2nd elm on the site, are exhibiting DED symptoms. I submitted for the tree contractor, so I'm away from the situation a bit, but I simply can't be bothered much more. Let them confirm the TPO, I don't really care.

It's the way of the world, unfortunately. A few yrs back a highway tree failed and hit a couple of cars. I think there were two deaths. HSE took the LA to court, as the agent of prosecution, after it came to light that the council didn't have any procedure to carry out safety inspections on highway trees due to lack of resources. I believe that that authority now have six additional TOs/inspectors! We deal with trees daily and most of the posters here understand the benefits and associated risk of them. Sadly everyone else give them little consideration unless they are causing them a personal nuisance. The general thought is that they are environmentally a good thing but when it comes to spending money or allocating resources to them it's a different matter.

There's nothing like a fatality to secure additional funding to the tree management team. Otherwise tree management takes a poor second place to binmen when the public purse is light.

Oh! Why would you? Although being generally supportive of the TPO system I feel that it isn't always administered fairly. A landowner has an object on his property that they don't have absolute control of because of the amenity that it provides to the public at large. Is it fair that should the owner want/need to remove it, that then the council just fails to implement some of the safeguards out in place to ensure that the owner gets the opportunity to do so? The LA concerned doesn't, AFAIK, notify 'interested parties' when even serving a TPO, allowing those who may be affected by their decision to voice an objection and then continue to control the situation as they see fit without allowing others any say at all. Is there any wonder that so many appear to be against tree protection, if it's administered the way it is?

I find it concerning at the lack of publicity about ash dieback, by LAs, to the general public. Human nature being what it is I think that a lot of tree owners will delay removing trees and allow them to become dangerous before taking action. I was reading the Tree Councils 'action pack' recently, which provides information for LAs in dealing with the disease. It's a good resource, highlighting how to go about securing funding, educating the public and the experiences of other auhorities who are already dealing with the first outbreaks. I did a search to see what the metropolitan Manchester councils were doing to raise awareness and deal with the problem (that's just starting to become apparent in mature trees here). Absolutely nothing. The only thing online are a couple of web pages from around 2014.

Has no one noticed the monsoon like rains that have been occurring over the last few years ffs. When it rains for an hour and that rainfall fills a bucket in he garden it's raining somewhat. I blame global warning.....

There are reports gathered from some of the early experiences of contractors/LAs dealing with Chalra/ash dieback infected trees that deadwood on them is extremely brittle, more so than usual for ash and that some trees even with mostly live crowns are suffering from basal decay (particularly on sites with very wet ground conditions). I think that the jury is still out as to relationships between the various fungi involved, but it sounds frequent enough to be worth closer attention.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to understand what LAs are obliged to do when dealing with tree works apps? A local authority appears to work more or less as a dictatorship. A single TO determines an application. Applications and notifications aren't publicised, so neighbours only become aware that, for example, trees are being felled when contractors arrive and 660's are broke out. I'm submitting to remove a 19m dawn redwood, situated between and damaging the driveway of the owner and the drive of the neighbour. Long story short, I know that the LA will want to retain and will pretty much ignore any reason and/or evidence provided to support its removal. Going on to appeal, subsequent to a refusal, is too long winded and here is also no guarantee of a successful conclusion IME. Neighbours are supportive of the trees removal and are preparing representations in support of that. If a council officer, the TO, has delegated powers, do representations/objections to an application force a hearing by the planning committee? I'm thinking that it's more likely hat I'll get a more 'objective' determination if the decision in front of the committee rather than a TO with a 'retain at all costs' mindset. Thanks in anticipation.

Is that meant to be an insult?

If the site is suitable for another large species, would Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) be suitable? Can't think of much in the way of current known threats to the species.

They are remarkably agile creatures. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility (IMO) that one hasn't scurried over the fence - who knows. Would a released ferret take a chicken? I'd check very carefully for even very small holes in or below the fence. If there's no visible means of entry, could you add some sort of overhang (even a couple of strands of wire) to the top of the fence? Thinking outside the box, Hunt continues for chihuahua 'snatched by seagull' after vets examine leg bone - Mirror Online WWW.MIRROR.CO.UK A seagull is said to have snatched Gizmo the dog from a garden in Paignton, Devon, leaving his owner Rebecca Hill...

I thought that my original post was in no way derogatory to Steve, definitely not intending to take the proverbial anyway. My intention was to come to his defence, saying incorrectly that I believed that he had said he was dyslexic. If my post was taken as a dig by him, or anyone else, I apologise. That was far from my intention. I was going to reply to this, but Jules response is better than mine would have been Might be incorrect, but I'm sure that Barchams do import trees. But the claim/state that they voluntarily keep imports in their own quarantine 'facility' before moving them on to the end user. Which of course they are no legally obliged to do. A bit off topic, but have you read some of the OPM article in the Guardian concerning the recent infected oak imports (from 'safe' countries? Apparently the infected trees have been moved all around the country. The moths should be flying in the next few weeks, totally ruining the existing containment attempts around London. Currently the losing battle is costing around £1M p.a. I was attacked in another thread recently for arguing the case about advising or helping clients to source large imported trees

'no attempt to protect elms' , what elms? There's barely any around to protect. Off the top of my head I couldn't identify more than maybe ten within five miles of any size/ageclass - not even coppice or self seeded saplings. This came his morning. A new application is required but due to the change in the trees circumstances as described, this time, the consent will be issued to fell. Regards, I'll resubmit to fell, hopefully get the paperwork through in a few weeks and the client can get on with what he needs to do promptly. Personally I have no problem with a replanting condition, two neighbouring ash, in adjoining properties, will soon go so replanting is important. The photo illustrates the extent of dieback of the canopy, 4-6 weeks back there was no real symptoms of infection. I'm glad that this one is more or less put to bed, because I've a Dawn Redwood in a conservation area, with a TPO, situated between two adjacent driveways. The owners drive is cast-in-situ concrete which is all broken up and uplifted, the neighbours asphalt/tarmac drive has small cracks and slight distortion/uplifting. The canopy is <1m from the neighbours house, the owners house is a bit more distant. In time the stem will begin to encroach over the neighbours drive, physically restricting its width. It's a lovely prominently visual tree, but a prime example of wrong tree/wrong place. It'll be an interesting case to pursue

I don't think that that is Bobs truck. It isn't painted blue...

I think that the lads will really appreciate cruising around in that smart motor, so will cherish and care for it as if it was their own. I think I may have doubled up on my meds.... It'll be trashed within a week Bod.

Always pal, always...

Sorry Steve, my bad. Carry on.

Due to a number of reasons I missed the appeal submission deadline, we (the client) hasn't been able to get the wall demolished to demonstrate the root locations etc, etc. Anyway, I looked in today and.... Half the crown is sans foliage and the rest is yellowing and browning. I pointed out a couple of yellow leaves to the TO at the last site meeting and suggested that they may have been due to DED . I've noticed a very rapid defoliation of a couple of other elms locally due to, I suspect, DED. The spread of the defoliation is much more rapid than I remember from years ago, when some trees kept a live crown for a number of years before finally dying. Maybe drought stress is contributing to the decline?

Sometimes you beg for the whole thing just to be over and done with...

It's quite difficult compiling orders for the nursery too, they don't often accept common names.

'spoiling' n grammar?

You might be better doing a little reading about the relationships between families, genus' and species before diving into the scientific names. No need to go too deep, just enough to gain an understanding about what is what in the scientific name that you are looking at, which part is the genus, which the specific (species) part. Really it isn't difficult once you learn the common genusus; Acers/maples, Quercus/oaks, Ilex/hollies, Fraxinus/ashes. The specific names, as previously said are often descriptive and once you begin to recognise their meanings it suddenly becomes so much easier. Find a couple of good websites where there are translations of the meanings and it soon becomes a lot clearer. I did come across a site with an audio pronunciation button, which is handy.

How is it out of date? There is, an annual convention/meeting where nomenclaturists (Is that a made up word?) meet to debate how things should be properly ordered - due to new knowledge etc or where plants/animals/fungi have been previously discovered and named differently. DNA sequencing is only a means of identification, it doesn't change to rules of nomenclature (the ways things are classified). I may be wrong, but I believe that Steve has previously said that he suffers from Dyslexia, as do a number of other posters, so I'm sure poor punctuation should be forgivable? Apologies, Steve, (@se7enthdevil), if I'm mistaken.