Gary Prentice

I think we call it pollarding in an attempt to make ourselves feel better. The client normally doesn't give a monkeys what you call it, as long as its smaller.

I wonder if the tree was shading his garden? It looks a bit big for collecting/cutting firewood. Whatever the circumstances, condolences to his family.

Terrific idea, Put me on the invite list.

Interesting Picea abies with codominant stems. Can anyone explain why my photos rotate?

Once the tree is removed the soil will eventually reach field capacity. Whether its done in stages or in one hit the result is the same. I don't think current thought advocates the necessity of staged reductions anymore.

As said above, nothing worse than a bit of timber ricochetting of a long spur, not saying yours were over long but I think it's a good habit to keep them real short. Nicely put together video too

I'm really can to have to make time to see what you 're doing with all that woodchip:thumbup1:

All searches are over the phone, most councils will give an immediate answer, although some with lower staffing levels my take an hour or two. Our local council are terrific, we don't even introduce ourselves any more. Because we check everything no-one queries the reasons but a standard answer would be that we 'd been asked to look at some trees - very non-committal . We 've lost a small number of jobs because of our pre-emptive searches, but I suspect a number of these were due to the prospective clients prior knowledge of constraints. I informed one client about a CA restraint and got abused because her solicitor said there wasn't any. I produced a plan and asked if her brief had informed her that her new house was also in a flood zone. :lol:

I don't fill out any paperwork, just go out with an inquiry form - from our office- with all the clients contact info and two tick boxes for TPO and CA status. With the client I write a brief job description, sketch plan and price. Client can say yea or nay or contact office later. If the jobs accepted, I'll submit the application.

But isn't it a waste of time quoting for work that isn't going to receive consent. At least if you know, prior to attending, you're in a better position to advise as to what is likely to be consented or refused.

That's ok in theory, but we deal with Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside, Stockport, Trafford, Bury, Bolton, Salford, Manchester and other areas. The websites vary greatly from authority to authority with some showing TPO's, some just CA's. We may search a dozen addresses every day, because we want to know before we visit the customer what the status is. phone calls are usually quicker and more up to date. The information on the web is only as accurate as the last IT update. I think the council only has to register TPO's in their offices, so an online search may not defensible in court. Of course someone will probably be better informed. On our initial contact with a client we do explain that we will undertake a search before meeting though.

Many thanks, problems now resolved after a chat with Alan in your parts department..... Were going forward:thumbup::thumbup:

Thanks for the reply, just a couple more queries though.

If you've lads like ours, Nuts and the Daily Sport should suffice:blushing:

Reading Mynors over the weekend the Local Authority do have some leeway, at least under the English Act. 'Councils are required to look at things not from the personal viewpoint of the people involved, but from the objective position of what a reasonable person might expect' (High Hedges Complaints; Prevention and Cure) Factors to be taken into account in reaching its decision on a complaint may include; the contribution it makes to the amenity of the properties on either side and of the neighbourhood in general Neither the initial action nor the subsequent preventative action can include reducing the hedge to below 2m or removing it altogether. The government has reminded local authorities that to 'remove' a hedge also includes any action that would result in its death or destruction (Letter from ODPM to local authorities, 20th April 2006) Surprisingly we could have been in the same situation as Scotland. It would seem that deciduous trees were almost included in our Act. This provision was the subject of a remarkable outburst in the debate on the clause in the High Hedges (No 2) Bill. 'If clause 20 the predecessor s.66 of the 2003 Act is not removed, the Bill could have a more dramatic impact on the English landscape than the combined effects of the great storm, Dutch Elm Disease and the Luftwaffe's bombing. No tree, bush or shrub-whether single or in a group, or in a city, town, suburb or the countryside - will be safe from being cut down to size - 2m - on the complaint of any individual attracted to a desert or concrete landscape. It would be a veritable end to Britian's green and pleasant land, produced by regulations that could not be amended per Christopher Chope MP, Hansard HC, 20 June 2003, cols 645-646 So at least one of our Mp's deserved his salary that day! Hopefully the Scottish Bill will come with similar guidelines to ours.

My ms201t-- mine! (I'm very, very possessive) Pole saw- death on a stick

Some of the TM companies charge for the permit. Council will require a site plan, showing how the system is going to be set up. You'll have to provide the date you want to work, so they know there's no conflict with other works. You may also find they won't let you start until after rush hour if its applicable on that road.

Are you going to set up a poll?

And post the video:lol::lol: Seriously though, this is very good advice.

I can just see yet more TO's caving in to pressure from the Planning and Legal Departments. I'm meeting so many now who, unfortunately, are simply looking for an easy life. I'm not knocking them at all. So many admit they can longer do their job, as they would like, due to other influences- both political and economic. In theory, the High Hedges legislation was becoming a necessity. But, in my experience, it is too often being applied outside the 'spirit' of the law. I don't envy your TO's position after next year at all.

This is a nice hedge, I don't think laying it would be appropriate.

What happens now. Does this Act go before a higher body, like our House of Lords, or is the Scottish Parliament the decision maker? Hopefully, in the future, the LA's and Tree Officers can tie up the implementation of this Act, to such an extent that the courts become inundated. Just maybe Parliament then make some alterations. Or just wishful thinking.

A judge defined, in Stanton v jones, “A number of woody plants, whether capable of growing into trees or not, which are so planted as to be in line and which, when mature, to be so integrated together as to form both a screen and a barrier”. This was in a case under the high hedges act.

That would be funny...... If it wasn't so true.

Not today, repairs and office work Friday, yesterday and tomorrow. Staff are off til Tuesday.