kevinjohnsonmbe

Well, potentially, it is (of a fashion) resting. At least so far as the naked eye / casual observer might discern. But then the naked eye / casual observer wouldn’t be able to discern the internal systems which are coming to terms with the drastically changed circumstances and setting in train the adaptation and survival strategies the results of which would not be visible (Poplar) for several months (possibly). I felled (Summer) ringed, stacked and (almost finished) converting a Poplar to kindling - there are 8” rings in the yard with regrowth! Granted, that regrow on the rings is completely unsustainable but we’re not talking 8” rings, we’re talking a tree in the horizontal which may / may not have all / part of the stem in ground contact and may / may not still have some root attachment / function. Can we call it a dead parrot? I think not, with what we have to go on so far. So if it’s not dead the exemption cannot apply. Granted it’s all getting a bit beyond what one might ‘hope for’ from a reasonable approach to TPO administration and likely beyond what the op can bear - but we also know reasonable comes in many different shapes and sizes...

Genuinely interested in the view here. Mindful it was reported as being a Poplar, I’m not so sure it would be safe (even with all / significant about of root plate lifted) to declare the tree dead simply on the basis that it has fallen over. Chris made the point earlier about (potential) significant denudation of ‘amenity’ (if amenity is inexorably tied to an upright tree?) and that may be an advantageous element of how the LA approach administering the existing TPO. I’m pretty sure I’d be reluctant (subject to assessing on site) to declare the tree dead simply on the basis it is horizontal.

Almost 5 years later @Mick Dempsey, and thread still won’t lay down 😂 What a cracker! All started when it kicked off in Turkey. Given the current news, things don’t seem to change a great deal with the passing of the years...

Truss on wireless earlier suggesting ‘footballers’ should be making clear and unequivocal ‘political opinion’ by boycotting some footy tournament due to be held in St Pete’s (totally awesome run ashore there BTW!) Odd, wasn’t taking the knee or school meals where the same politicians were suggesting ‘footballers’ should play football rather than get involved in politics....? it’s the selective application and apparent hypocrisy / inconsistency that strikes me.... They’re talking about RT being banned now because it’s a ‘biased’ propaganda arm of the Putin regime.... I quite like RT for the ‘alternative’ view, same Al Jazeera.

I was in Umm Qasr 2004/05. Had to go to Baghdad MNSTC-I HQ at Saddam’s Palace monthly for business. Swam in Saddam’s pool on my birthday ‘04! Quite a surreal experience going from MRE to a massive DeFac with what struck us as banqueting fit for a king. Truly bizarre and surreal days for sure.

Yeah..... You ‘could’ laugh, but it’s clown stories like that which seem to prevail in the NGO, Quango, civil service and charity sectors....

I was ‘sure’ you were going to say they cut out your defective stopcock before isolating further up system and ended up with an uncontrollable leak.... Doesn’t matter, the mental image was created and raised a smile anyway 😂😂

It seems that battery back up installed as part of the original PV fit would attract 5% VAT but when retrofitted to an existing PV array is 20% - that’s some pretty classic disjointed tax policy. 🤨 Im not naturally techy minded and it’s been 10 years since I got all excited and informed before installing the PV - I’ve had considerable skill / knowledge fade since then hence much of your post above is outside my understanding - I need to get myself back up to speed! Extract of the first quote so far attached below. Needless to say, I think this one may be missing an essential piece of kit from his toolbox... The price for 3 x 2.4 Kw Pylon Tech batteries with a Victron 5000GX charge controller would be £5439.00 Plus 20% VAT. I have attached data sheets for the products. The battery is the US2000C model.

Had the first company call back from the ones I’ve looked at for the battery storage upgrade for solar PV today. Haven’t looked at the quotes in detail yet - happy to post them up to see if anyone has any comment - but the first thing that struck me on pricing schedule was VAT @ 20%. Id have thought I’d be 5% for renewables. I haven’t checked yet but if the first one to send prospective details has got the VAT wrong I guess they’ll be going straight in the bin. Any thoughts from the massiv?

There must be / are good ‘uns Ti. I suspect you could speak with some authority on the subject. It’s the trouble with bad apples adversely affecting the whole barrel (if that’s not too many metaphors 😂)

There must be / are good ‘uns Ti. I suspect you could speak with some authority on the subject. It’s the trouble with bad apples adversely affecting the whole barrel (if that’s not too many metaphors 😂)

That’s shocking! And - the whole (charade) charity parachute jump concept is, in any case, a shallow concealment of achieving a personal ambition through the exploitation of the good nature (funds) of the ‘many’ to fund a recreational activity of the ‘one.’

I’d wager they will! Poplar - horizontal - soon to be regrowing. On the basis that the LA will probably require an app to remove so as to allow them to condition replacement. I’d wager there’ll be more to this yet and it’ll likely be either the retention of a horizontal tree or a replant condition.

That absolutely stinks but I fear it just about typifies the business of charities and is about as big a disincentive (as if I ever needed one) to body swerve the whole lot as I ever needed. Another one, which will actually see me change the TV channel, is earnest (so called) celeb’s, do gooders and virtue signallers in (what must be) staggeringly expensive TV advertising campaigns about in growing toe nails in Africa etc. That patronising t’wt Ewan McGregor springs to mind.

No, not 6 figures, but in many respects even worse since it demonstrated to you (and now to us as you retell it) that such attitudes are absolutely pernicious and endemic with reach from the very ‘top’ to the absolute roots of charitable management. 🤮

Spot on Mark.... 👍🏻 (on a lighter note - I’m voting YOU for AT agony uncle in a separate thread (so as to not detract from the important and serious nature of this thread))

That’s the recognised pathway.... Scandalous.

Don’t even get me started on H4H! Its a gravy train with biscuit wheels staffed by cliquey ex service strap hangers and free loaders.

It’s a difficult area. Ive no doubt many small - medium charities are founded out of good intentions, often filling a gap in systemic care and similarly often borne out of personal experiences motivating good people to do ‘good’ in their local area. That so many seem to fall foul of ‘operating costs’ and ‘remunerations’ that seem to far exceed the proportion of turnover / designated charitable output is a stain that seems to over shadow so many. Not naturally altruistic, I was hit up by an important influence in my life recently to contribute to a charitable cause he was championing. He was horrified when I told him I’d taken the time to look the charity up and read their annual reports - which didn’t present a particularly impressive charitable output to ‘running costs’ ratio. All the info is there at charities commission for public scrutiny. Kids Club has just had its investigation concluded - delayed due to concurrent high court activity. Shocking state of affairs with considerable ramifications in the (so called) charitable sector. That it is even considered as a ‘sector’ speaks VOLUMES of the state of affairs where whole careers, and considerable salaries, are built out of exploiting grant availability and public fund raising. Charity Inquiry: Keeping Kids Company - GOV.UK WWW.GOV.UK

I’m less troubled by the fact they have been investigated than I am by the dubious activities of a poorly equipped or morally corrupt board of trustees which led to the investigation. „What starts out here as a mass movement ends up as a racket, a cult, or a corporation.

CowTRA?

We may have differed in opinion on some of the core issues of the thread John, but by God your passion and enthusiasm for the care subject is remarkable. There’s a sense that your passion is borne out of personal experience / pain - if that is the case pal I hope you can gain a sense of reparation by the advice you give to others. 👍🏻

I had in mind to come back to ya’all on this one Marcus. As a general rule, there is not a midge’s knacker between what you write and what I think - startlingly aligned 😂 Indeed, there was 1 example recently (topic slips my mind) which touched upon the controversial where I actually thought out loud - I would not have written a single word differently. I suspect you can read between the lines of my comments on this subject (and previous similar) and recognise that I mean no criticism (not entirely true - since there is often sound basis for much criticism) of those that are actively engaged in ‘working’ the sector but rather the criticism is aimed at the preposterous ‘schemes’ and red tape which seem entirely weighted towards the larger land owner rather than the hands on farmer. The greatest frustration being the addict like dependence of those in the sector who continue to suckle slavishly at the teat of the NFU which is actually about as far removed from grass roots farming, and as intimately integrated into corporate and governmental complicity as it is possible to be. I recall from previous posts of yours (and of my own experience) that we may also agree (in degrees)?that many of these ‘grant schemes’ are either so ludicrous in their administrative complexity and/or qualifying criteria, and that on detailed examination, are almost invariably shown to be little more than cash-cow money pits with no realistic potential to return the tangible benefits they were conceived to deliver - not least of which - because the overinflated staff complement and salary liability of administering them often exceeds the actual money pushed forward to advance the current ludicrous cause (just as likely to be the reversal of the opposite cause which preceded it by 10, 20, 50 years) and that on top of all of that..... The only peep’s that are likely to put themselves through the various grant application processes are the larger agri businesses that employ office staff solely for this type of administrative role thus even further alienating the ‘hands on’ farmer from the very support which is ‘supposed’ to benefit the grass roots. But in summary - if I had a large fortune to piss away I’d be much happier to do so knocking back Mojitos in the Caribbean than banging in fence posts in SE Cornwall 😂

For that statement to be correct, there would need to be an undisputed acceptance that council always right / professional advisor always wrong. That’s certainly not a starting point I’d accept.

You can challenge a provisional TPO prior to confirmation by submission of suitably presented counter argument. The processes and decision making are (should be) clearly defined - it is a planning decision rather than a TO decision which leads to confirmation of a TPO so properly constructed and presented counter argument is imperative. Too late in your case... LAs should be especially mindful of correct process in the transition from provisional to confirmed TPO since they are (in essence) the applicant, the assessor, the adjudicator AND the decision maker.... After confirmation, no appeal route exists - JR only. Bye the bye now anyway...