Chris at eden

If they ignore the TRN them the LPA has the right to enter the land and plant the tree, then recover reasonable costs. Yes they need to be water tight but they are prepared by legal, not the TO in my experience so should not be an issue. Tree replacement is a pain to be honest, as is TPO enforcement of any kind. The main problem in my opinion is that non compliance with a TRN is not an offence. If it was and had a fine I'm guessing they would be ignored less often.

I don't see it. If you apply to fell and get consent based on tree replacement that continues the amenity on the site. If you then hack the tree to pieces and leave it looking a mess that destroys amenity. Risky move that one if you ask me. I still think you could serve a TRN and if they defend by saying they are not going to fell you could start looking at it as wilful destruction. The two years is the default period as written into the regulations from 2012. They shouldn't be securing this through condition anymore. They can reduce or extend the period if they see fit though. I administer TPOs for an LPA as part of my working life and I've only changed the validity period once since the new regs came in.

That's a cop out by the TO. Is anyone really suggesting that for the purpose of the legislation which is all about visual amenity that the tree is still standing? its clearly not. Serve a TRN and if the owner has an issue with that he can appeal. I'm fairly confident that the PINS inspector would have little sympathy for the tree owner. They are abusing the regulations.

Budget CAD - an oxymoron if ever I heard one!!! I use pear tech which is quick and easy to use, don't need a lot of training. It does have its limitations though. It cost me £1,200 but I use it all the time so worth the spend and cheaper than full CAD packages. Don't think I would bother for 2 or 3 a year. Cheers

I came across one a couple of years ago where the LPA were actually going after the chap who climbed and cut the tree. Not the contractor, or the land owner. That was a new one on me.

It could be worse than that I am afraid. £2.5k is for wilful damage only. If they decide that the works you have carried out have destroyed the a TPO'd tree as a visual amenity they may go for wilful destruction. This used to carry a max fine of £20k on summary conviction but that change earlier this year. Unlimited fines can now be given by the magistrates court for wilful destruction of a TPO tree. So in answer, no don't just go for it. The smart move would also be for the owner and contractor to take on responsibility.

The ABC L2, L4, and L6 are recognised by QCF which is the UK framework for qualifications. This means they are recognised internationally or at least in developed countries. I was looking at going out to the USA a few years ago when I was working as a tree surgeon. There were a lot of opportunities for tree surgeons particularly in New York area but I am not sure about surveying and consultancy. I believe utility surveying is pretty big out there. Speak with IET or Arbjobs, that would be a good starting point. Not sure if the former is still going but they did have a lot of contacts all over the world. Cheers

Hi Level 3 will cover you for risk surveys and get you an interview as a local authority junior tree officer, possibly junior consultant. For planning and mortgage reports you will really need L4 or L6, you may get away with the old tech cert which was accredited at L3 but in reality was pitched at a higher level in my opinion. For info, mortgage and planning reports account for probably 90% of my work so you need to work toward that if you are serious. Level 6 diploma through treelife would be my advice as that is what I did and its life changing when it comes to doing consultancy. If you wish to kick on an do expert witness work which is the natural progression you will be pitching yourself against others with L6 dip or degrees anyway so its worth doing. You can do the L4 and L6 as you work which is a bonus. Have you had a look on arbjobs.com? There are a dozen or so consultant / surveyor jobs on there at the moment. Most asking for L3. Hope this helps but if you have any more questions feel free to ask. Cheers and good luck

Yes I agree. The foliage tends to look kind of curled in on itself as well with Parrotia. Not a great description I know. Thanks all for your input so far. Any additional thoughts welcome. Cheers

Witch hazel was one of my thoughts as well as Persian Ironwood but I've never seen either grown as a standard tree though. Good shout though. Stumped me.

Hi Folks Anyone have any thoughts on the attached? Its a small tree I looked at a couple of days ago. Looks kind of hazel-esque I've definitely seen it before but can't think what it is. Thanks in advance.

Pholiota

You would need to install the path using a no-dig method to prevent damage to the roots. Its a bit complicated so best to get a specification from a tree consultant. Its pretty standard stuff though with several people on here able to assist depending on your location. Have a look at the Geosynthetics website, they supply the materials and can assist with the specification. If you get stuck send me an email (address on my website - see below) and I will send you a hyperlink.

I would go as far as to say beyond reasonable doubt mate.

You're being paid to provide expert advice not just to say fell. Anyone can do that. What if the client likes the tree and wants options? What if the tree is TPO'd and the TO disagrees with the content and it goes to appeal? What if its a third party tree and the owner gets a second opinion that disagrees with your assessment? What if there are issues with ground heave as a result of felling and you haven't excluded this in your limitations and/or scoping? At some point you may have to justify what you have said, maybe to the client or possibly in a court setting.

I just watched it twice in case I missed something (mainly the streaker if I'm honest) and I can only conclude that its right what they say. You get what you pay for.

Boom! My kind of gardening. I have two choc labs that can pretty much annihilate everything within 3 mins if left unsupervised. Easier than a chainsaw mate.

Yes, I have a jungle theme garden. I have a purple leaved Catalpa which I coppice at 3ft annually. Leaves are huge as a result which was the intention. It also puts on at least 6ft growth over the summer. I do the same with a Paulownia. Same result. The downside is no flowers. Cheers

Although TPO's are not designed for council trees there is no reason why they cannot be protected by one. The tree could have been under threat from local residents for example. Additionally, if your council is split between district and county it is likely that the county would manage the tree, and district would administer TPO's. So the owner would be applying to a different authority to do works. Highways departments are not always that tree friendly as they see them as a drain on resources with the damage they cause to footways. This can sometimes force districts into a position where they feel they have to protect the trees. I arranged a training session a few years ago for a highways department at a council I worked for as TO. It was Dave Dowson delivering engineering solutions for footway repair. Real top level training. No one turned up from the highways management team, they were not interested, all they wanted to do was fell the trees. Its easier. Not saying all authorities are like this but some certainly are. Hence, highway trees get TPO'd

From your original post it sounded like pruning was done every few years and it was unclear how much was removed. Research shows that you need to remove almost all of the canopy and probably on an annual basis for it to have any chance of success. I don't quite see the point in keeping a tree like that as its pretty much destroyed. Yes the root protection area. Its a calculation based on stem diameter which shows the area in which you should not excavate on development sites. You also need to consider the size of the roots you are cutting. Its not quite as simple as that as you can enter RPA's and dig by hand in some instances and the shape has to be modified to reflect site conditions in some instances. Barriers can be effective if installed properly. They don't reduce water uptake by the tree but they create a physical barrier between the tree and the foundations so the tree does not extract water from beneath the footings. The soil will still shrink on the tree side of the barrier through. If you leave gaps though the roots will grow through, or under, or over. They also create moisture gradients which actually encourage root growth so again have to be installed properly. For subsidence they will probably need to be at least 2m deep also but this will depend on tree species, soil type, etc. Hence expensive. Please don't take this as professional advice or rely on it as I haven't seen the situation and so I am just giving general information. It needs to be investigated properly. What have you had done previously? Crack / level monitoring, soil analysis, root ID, trail pits for foundation depth?

You don't need to revoke a TPO before making an app. In fact if you did revoke then you wouldn't need to apply as the tree wouldn't be protected. More to the point, if the council tree is damaging your property and you can demonstrate that on the balance of probabilities then that would be actionable nuisance so an application may not be required anyway. Tree removal may not be the only option. There is root barrier, underpin, or pruning. Pruning is problematic though and will only work if done regularly, probably every year. Underpin and root barrier is expensive, about £1,000 per linear metre. Felling is quick and easy but the loss of trees is not always desirable to the council.

I would discuss the options. A the end of the day you could build an elevated concrete slab on plies to cross but I couldn't design that. It would need an engineer. If its light weight traffic I am happy to specify the temp protection as interlocking boards (or ply) and woodchip. Anything bigger I always caveat saying to check the spec with a competent person. I'm not an engineer so I am very careful in what I recommend when it comes to structures. Same with Cellweb roads. I spec footpaths and cycle ways but as soon as you start driving vehicles, I write the spec and then state that they must confirm with an engineer or the supplier and refer back to me if further guidance is required in relation to tree protection. May seem like a bit of a cop-out but my profession is trees, not structures. I see my role as making sure the structures don't damage the trees, not the design of the structures. As long as you offer to consult, I think that is acceptable. Hope that makes sense

p.s. those loads and specifications were given to me directly by Gavin via email so they should be pretty accurate. The below text is the email he sent just for future reference. I find it useful to refer to. Hi Chris As discussed please see info below regarding Cellweb depths. 75mm - Pedestrian and cyclepaths 100mm – Cars and light vans (up to approx. 6 tonne GVW) 150mm – Fire engines, Deliver vans etc (up to approx. 30 tonne GVW) 200mm – HGV / Construction traffic (approx. 30 – 60 tonne GVW) Hope this helps – I must stress these figures are approximate – other site factors have to be taken into consideration to assess properly the build up required. I have attached a questionnaire which you can send us if required, and our engineering department can produce this. If you need any further help please don’t hesitate to contact me. Cheers

Not sure mate. I usually point the client in the right direction, and let them sort it directly rather than paying me an arrangement fee.

200mm Cellweb is ok for traffic between 30 and 60 tonnes depending on ground conditions. You may get away with 150mm if ground conditions are right. Speak with Gavin Proud from Geosynthetics. He is one of their technical specifiers so should be able to help. email - [email protected] Hope this helps