There are a range of reasons why you may need out expert tree consultancy skills. We have highlighted a few below, please do get in touch if you have any survey or consultancy needs.
Owners of trees have a “Duty of Care” under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 and 1984. This states that they must take “Such care as is reasonable” to ensure that no harm comes to people or property as a result of foreseeable incidents involving trees on their property. The best way to ensure this is upheld is to have regular inspections of your tree/trees from a suitably qualified professional.
Often planning applications will require a tree survey. Work to trees in conservation areas and tree with Tree Preservation Orders will require planning permission to undertake tree surgery work on them. Building work intended near trees will often require an arboricultural report outlining how damage to the trees can be mitigated.
This is a baseline inspection of the trees overall health and condition. It is undertaken from ground level and will look into the overall apparent health of the tree as well as any structural defects that may be present. This could be: Cracks, Broken Limbs, Large Diameter Deadwood, Cavities, presence of Fungal Fruiting Bodies and signs of decay. Data will be collected and then a report will be written which will also contain any work recommendations that may be necessary to mitigate risk.
Sometimes, certain features within the crown of a tree need a closer inspection. In these cases, a thorough assessment may require tree climbing or the use of a mechanical lift to safely access higher areas and accurately evaluate the tree’s condition.
Sometimes its not possible to assess the extent of decay visually and further investigation may be required. This can be performed with more specialist equipment such as Resistograph and Sonic Tomograph machines.