Sylvia

I try and talk about bats, hornets, woodpeckers and bugs but the clients eyes glaze over in confusion and they cry 'mais, cest pas jolie...'/ you can't see it from the road/ and our financial viability assessment which you're not allowed to see says we have to build where those yews are or go bankrupt ................................

It's council owned woodland with conservation/habitat status - before the planning application went in - at pre-application/local consultation stage- I asked the Tree Officer to put a woodland TPO on it - he said it's a conservation area don't fret they'll have to replant - the arboricultural report now submitted says after consultation with the council they won't replant - "there's no room" . When locals ask to remove trees we often rightly get TPO'd first/instead - the double standards when it's the councils land and trees are infuriating. Who's the objective independent arbitrator when the council want to sell council/our land no matter what.............

Developers have applied to take it and 50 other healthy trees down to build houses- it's a conservation area but developer says he won't replace trees like us peasants have to/want to.

Thanks for replies - The breakages in what I'd call the buttresses - where the horizontal becomes vertical - look like stress fractures - are they a sign of failure? The wrap around/girdling root - is that a threat to the vitality/safety of the tree - is it on the sick list? Will it inevitably fail where the trunk divides?

Is this Beech tree base problem terminal?

Oops..................... deleted - obit already posted by waterbuoy

Same here for two Liquidambars nurtured from garden centre sticks - I thought this would be the year - everything else glowing but no such luck - they're on about two spade depths of soil on limestone - I give them sequestered iron - they sometimes don't shed their leaves until Spring - I know they're in the wrong place but can't bear to part with them - next year could be the year...........

Just found this https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/tree_contract_with_amey FOI request response from Sheffield City Council: "Existing Council policies apply to Amey's tree maintenance activities, and as such, Amey are under clear instruction that they cannot remove trees for issues such as seasonal leaf, fruit or blossom fall, loss of TV or satellite reception or shade being cast from the tree. Every tree fell requested by Amey has to be validated by trained arboricultural inspectors from within the Council to verify that the works prescribed are indeed legitimate and essential. Only once permission has been given may Amey proceed with the job."

One resident told The Yorkshire Post that police had used anti-picketing legislation, aimed at trade unions, to stop onlookers disrupting the work. Read more at: ?Inexcusable?: Three arrested after ?pig-headed? Sheffield Council mounts dawn chainsaw raid on trees - Yorkshire Post Does the Tree Officer get any say in the matter if councillors have abdicated responsibilty to Amey etc?

South Yorkshire Police said the arrests were made 'on suspicion of preventing lawful work' on Rustlings Road, Endcliffe, where tree fellers started cutting down trees at 5am. Read more at: UPDATE: Three arrested in tree felling protest on Sheffield street - The Star

See what you mean Mark - this explains: From Appendix C [of appces A-G] Vitality: Is a personal assessment of the tree's growth rate in the current season, in comparison to other trees within the locality, region and an indicator of the tree likely response to site change: "Dead" is defined as "A dead or very low vitality tree" so the "dead" elms could be both dead and at the same time alive/surviving - bit pedantic though. "Dead" really means in the way of plot 9?

Thanks for your help . I thought surviving elms might be extra protected. Can't get a close look sorry- I've read further on in 3 doc tree survey - v complicated these days - look like something from NASA - both elms c 8m+ tall - dead/low vitality - less than 10 years safe life left - one trunk to be retained. No mention of DED. So many trees removed round here - chestnuts brown with leaf miner for about 4 years - not much tree planting. Trees around houses regarded as a nuisance not an asset.

A local proposed housing development planning application AARC tree survey is looking to remove elms - one described as English Elm and one as "Unknown ?Elm - climber prevented full inspection" Given the massive loss of elms down the years seeing surviving elms recommended for removal is surprising - are elms specially protected - will the council tree officer inspect/identify these without being asked?

See this BS Cascade applied universally now for local planning applications - is there any counterbalancing BS standard for assessing ecological/biodiversity/wildlife value of trees?