Tag Archive for: Tree surgery

Demystifying Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Conservation Areas in England: A Guide for Tree Owners

At Simpson Arboriculture, we understand the importance of tree preservation and the legal frameworks in place to protect our natural environment. In this blog post, we aim to shed light on Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and conservation areas in England. This aims to help our tree surgery customers understand their significance and how they may impact their trees.

Understanding Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs)

A Tree Preservation Area (TPO) is usually made and managed by a local planning authority, i.e. a local council. As the name suggests, they aim to preserve and protect a tree, woodland or group of trees. These are trees or groups that are valuable to the local area.

TPOs make it unlawful to cut, damage or fell a recognised tree without permission from the local planning authority.

The best way to check if a tree has a TPO is on the local council website. Local council websites often include interactive maps where you can check for any TPOs.

Exploring Conservation Areas

So what defines a conservation area? This is a designated area within a town, village or urban area that is considered to have special architectural or historical interest. These areas are often recognised by their unique character, distinctive buildings and overall environmental quality. Their aim is to preserve heritage and natural beauty.

If an area is designated as a conservation area, it is subject to stricter planning controls and regulations compared to non-designated areas. This includes trees!

However, there are some exemptions. According to the Arboricultural Association:

“You do not need to give notice of work on a tree in conservation area less than 7.5 centimetres in diameter, measured 1.5 metres above the ground (or 10 centimetres if thinning to help the growth of other trees”.

Hedges are also exempt from conservation area restrictions.

How we can help

If you are within a conservation area or want to carry out work on any of your TPO trees, we can help! At Simpson Arboriculture, we are very familiar with the process of putting together an application and applying for permissions for the work. Homeowners can find this process a bit daunting if they haven’t done it before. So for a small admin fee, we can take the stress away and oversee the whole application process.  

Simply give you a call in the office or visit our website. We can arrange a convenient day and time for one of our team to come and do a site visit. Our experienced team can quote for any tree surgery work and discuss details regarding an application you may want to make. On acceptance of the quotation, we can then begin the application process on your behalf.

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Tree removal challenges: how we can help

Our professional, highly trained arborists at Simpson Arboriculture love a challenge! And one of the biggest challenges we often get asked about is how to remove a tree in less-than-ideal circumstances. It may be a narrow access or a small garden full of obstacles. Our aim is to carry out the work safely and efficiently.

Here are 5 of the most common challenges in tree removal and how we can tackle them

Limited access

This is a very common one. Our customers may have a small garden, narrow access or limited space for our team to work with. This is something our team have ample experience in. We can offer solutions such as using rigging techniques for tree removal in smaller sections. Our team can also remove any waste by hand or drag branches out onto a road or driveway.

Obstacles

Green houses, conservatories or a vegetable patch are common obstacles that our team are required to work around. Causing minimal damage to the surrounding area is always an important consideration for us during a tree removal. We are always finding creative ways to work around them! We have rigged branches over greenhouses and used speed line techniques where there is a small drop zone to avoid any damage. 

Close to water

Carrying out any work close to a pond or river requires careful preparation and planning. Our experienced team are able to carry out tree removal close to and even over water. As with any work we embark on, it depends on the specifics of the job. A smaller tree near to shallow water may require our team to put their waders on if they’re going to be standing in water that is ankle to knee deep. Alternatively, if a tree growing near to deeper water or a fast-flowing river it may need a different approach. In these circumstances, use of machinery may be required so our team can work from the safety of the bank. This might be through the use of an excavator or our grapple saw which can cut the trunk and fell the tree mechanically.   

Near to a busy road

If a tree is on the side of a road, we may have to organise traffic management to ensure that both our team and members of the public are not put at any risk. Depending on the size of the tree and duration of the work, we can use signs, cones or traffic lights if the work requires any of the road to be blocked off. We always consider factors such as rush hour traffic or nearby schools to ensure that any work causes minimal disruption to the local community.

Removing a dead or unsafe tree

If a tree has a number of dead branches or has become damaged, this will cause the tree to be unsafe for our arborists to climb. In these circumstances, we may instead use specialist equipment such as a Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP). This means that our arborists can still carry out the work, but without relying on branches that may fail. 

What should you do about it?

At Simpson Arboriculture, we know from experience that a problem tree can quickly become a worry. However, with our team’s expertise and years of experience, we can help give our customers peace of mind by taking care of the logistics.

Do you have a tree that you think needs some attention but you’re not sure how to tackle it? If so, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Simpson Arboriculture. We offer free, no obligation quotes to help you solve the problem.

You can visit our website for more information on tree removal.

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Assessing your trees: How to spot signs of decline

Ash tree

Benefits of healthy trees

Trees are an integral part of our environment. They provide natural beauty as well as being essential for providing oxygen, storing carbon dioxide and helping to keep the earth cool. In essence, we cannot live without trees. So how can we make sure that our trees thrive?

Firstly, by giving your trees what they need. In terms of young trees, this may be regular watering and use of supports such as tree guards. For more information on this, please see our blog on caring for new trees. Later on, assessing your trees becomes key!

Assessing your trees

Assessing your trees regularly, particularly more mature trees, is the best way to help ensure that they remain strong, healthy and prosperous. We recommend assessing your trees several times a year. We believe this is the most effective way to notice and monitor any changes. If a tree is healthy, you should see new growth every year. We always advise assessing your trees after severe weather such as storms or strong winds, in case your trees have been damaged.

Spotting signs of decline

Knowing what to look for when assessing your trees is essential if you are to spot the signs of decline early. This can help to avoid more problems in the future.   

There are ample ways in which trees can let you know that their health is compromised, so it’s really important to know what to look out for. Trees can show signs of decline in their trunk, branches or in the canopy so it’s important to assess all parts of the tree to give you a clear picture of its health. 

Some of the common signs to spot are listed below: 

  1. Cracks/ splitting. What does it mean if there are cracks or splitting in the bark? This can be caused by freezing weather or sun scald. However, it can also be a sign of fungal disease. Large cracks or splits in a tree can cause it to become unstable and pose a risk to individuals and property.
  2. Dead or broken branches. It’s advisable to prune any dead branches as these can weaken a tree over time.
  3. Decayed roots. Root rot can be a serious problem for a tree, affecting its stability and its ability to get nutrients from the soil. Other tell-tale signs are stunted growth, small pale, leaves and thinning around the canopy. In this case, we may have to remove the tree to prevent the disease from spreading to other nearby trees and plants.   
  4. Fungus growth. The bark should be free from any fungi or moss. Presence of either could mean that the tree is infected with rot. This can cause the tree to become unstable and needs to be assessed as soon as possible.

What can we do to help?

At Simpson Arboriculture, we are passionate about helping to maintain the health of the trees we work on. Pruning and trimming, if carried out correctly by professional arborists, can improve the appearance of the tree and contribute to its overall health. Our arborists work within the guidance set out in BS3998 (British Standards for tree work). This means they ensure that any work carried out will not compromise a tree’s health and stability. Instead supporting and encouraging new growth. When quoting to carry out tree work, our professional arborists will discuss with you what you want to achieve (e.g. more light in your garden) and balance this with the needs and health of the tree. Keeping our customers happy and trees healthy is always our intention!   

But what about when a tree is showing signs of decline? Our team have years of experience in spotting the signs of decline early on. This means that we can take appropriate action. Our aim is to save and maintain trees wherever possible and carry out the essential work to improve and maintain the health of a tree, thus helping to ensure its longevity. This may involve removing deadwood. It may also involve rebalancing a tree or targeting specific branches or limbs that are failing.

In the event that a tree has become unsafe and poses an immediate risk to the public or surrounding property, we would suggest removing the tree as soon as possible. We have many approaches to this ranging from climbing the tree, sectional dismantle, rigging or use of machinery depending on the job.

We are able to grind remaining stumps and treat stumps and roots using eco-plugs. This will then allow for replanting which we always encourage wherever possible.

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