Tree Management Policy - North Devon District Council

The table below summarizes who is involved in, and responsible for, tree riskassessment within NDC, and the steps within the process.TREE RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESSResponsible DescriptiontoParks Officers Collate information from Arboricultural contracts on thefollowing: Certificates / qualifications, insurance & genericSpecific RA. ( Appendix 2 Tree Surgeon Check List 2012-Onwards )Parks Officers Up to the 31 March 2013, NDC Officers will carry out ayearly Risk Assessment of the tree stocks using the QTRAwalkover method. This is a general inspection from theground that provides a probability of failure. This calculationtakes account of a number of factors e.g. size / nature oftree, frequency of targets that could be affected by a failure;adjacent buildings, passing people / cars and the value ofthe targets etc. (Appendix 3 QTRA Risk Walkover SurveySheet )QTRA web pageParks OfficersContractorPark OfficersPark OfficersParks OfficersInvestigate any tree inquires using the QTRA walkovermethod. Seek quotes for any required works. (Appendix 3QTRA Walkover Risk Survey Sheet QTRA web page )From April 1 2013 the service provider will conduct the TreeRisk Assessment as part of the Grounds Maintenancespecification, price up the work required and set the futuresurvey frequency.Assess the survey recommendations and quotes in order toprioritise which work to issue, and which sites we need toget quotes to carry out further investigation e.g. Treeclimbing survey.Issue work to contractors and monitor quality andcompliance of the work.(Appendix 4 Tree WorksObservation Checklist )Tree Management Records will be held within the Property& Technical directory in the Parks Tree folder. Records willbe retained for at least 6 years.TREES WITHIN CONSERVATION AREAS & THE TPO PROCESSResponsible DescriptiontoParks Officers Forward any inquires to carry out work to trees that are notwithin land owned by NDC, to the Planning Unit (Landscape& Conservation Officer)

Parks OfficersLandscape &CountrysideOfficerPark OfficersPark OfficersEi eRisk assess NDC tree stock within Conservation Areas andTPO’s and if required apply to the Planning Unit for consentto carry out works. Access the Application Form & GuidanceNotes via the links below:( Appendix 5 Tree Works Application Form Tree WorksApplication Guidance Notes )Assess applications for works on all trees withinConservation Areas and TPO.s, and inform the applicant ofthe decision.If consent to carry out tree works is granted, seek quotes.Issue work to contractors and monitor quality andcompliance of the work. ( Appemdix 4 Tree WorksObservation Checklist )CLINKS TO OTHER STRATERGIES & POLICIESThis policy will link and feed into the Parks, Leisure & Culture Health Stratergyand the Provision Of Public Open Space, Sport, Leisure and OtherCommunity Facilities.GENERAL TREE INQUIRIESDue to the finite nature of the council’s tree works budget approximately £0.86per tree, work has to be very carefully prioritized based on the QTRAassessment. The reality is that the priority is to maintain and enhance thehealth of NDC’s Tree stock. This work will rectify a number of issues whichcould potentially cause a health and safety risk to the public using the openspaces, or property within or adjacent to these sites. We also look to holdback a contingency budget for emergency works that cannot be predicted aspart of the risk assessment process. With climate change and prolonged wetand windy conditions through the year becoming the norm, the emergencybudget is an essential budget to protect.Low priority tree work issues e.g. loss of light / views or dropping leaves etc,may require an officer visit to asses the condition of the tree using the QTRAsurvey method. If the tree does not require any work, a standard reply wouldbe given to the inquirer, explaining the council’s position. This ensures that wesend out a consistent message when replying to the low priority tree issues.Please see the (Appendix 6 Standard Tree Responses) document. However,if the tree requires health & safety work, it will be added in to the list of prioritytree work and be sent out to be quoted for.FUNDING FOR TREE WORKSNDC will only pay for the priority tree works. Where the work is assessed aslow priority (as outlined in the GENERAL TREE INQUIRIES section above),we will not pay for the work. However, we will give adjacent landowners theoption to fund tree work, which would primarily benefit them.

In the first instance NDC officers would need to agree with the proposedworks, to ensure that they do not have a significant adverse impact on thepublic value of the tree/s. We would then request that they either choose atree surgeon using our suggested selection guidance (Appendix 7 ChoosingYour Arborist), or pay NDC to act as an agent on there behalf to make thearrangements.The guidance will require that the following information is requested from thecontractor; work quote, work specification & specific risk assessment andcopies of insurance certificates. This vetting process ensures that we areemploying reputable and skilled contractors to carry out work on NDCproperty.The information supplied by the contractor will have to be assessed by NDCbefore work is sanctioned. If the tree/s are covered by a TPO or fall within aconservation area, an application will need to be completed by the appointedtree surgeon and proposed work approved by the Countryside & LandscapeOfficer. There will also be a small fee to assess any tree planning application.COMMUNICATION TO COUNCIL MEMBERSWhere we are proposing to remove a tree on the grounds of health & safetyfrom one of our parks or open spaces, we will inform the relevant wardmember/s via email. This will ensure that they are aware of the reasons andneed for such work.TREE PLANTINGTrees provide an important visual, health, environmental and resourceamenity. NDC would aim as a minimum to re-plant a new tree for any treesthat have been removed within formal POS. This work would be carried outduring the dormant autumn/ winter period, which is the best time to planttrees. The Parks, Leisure & Culture team have allocated a small budget toensure this proactive planting work continues.NDC has a substantial stock of hedgerow, woodland / copse and standardparks trees approximately 38451 trees. Due to the abundance of trees thatare present within the wider North Devon environs, NDC does not feel that itis necessary to increase the area of tree cover within the existing parks.However, NDC would explore the possibility of creating new woodlands withinthe large grassed areas of POS. As well as this, limited natural regenerationwould occur within the NDC managed Local nature reserve, conservation andwoodland areas.In future, opportunities to increase the number of trees would probably arisethrough future section 106 planning gains. This mechanism allows NDC theoption of adopting new development POS, either with existing trees orprovision for new tree planting.STAKED & STANDARD TREE MAINTENANCEIt is important to ensure that we maintain the health and condition of NDC’sdeveloping young staked and standard trees. Routine maintenance will

ensure tree supports are adjusted periodically to encourage root encourageand that formative pruning is carried out to develop a healthy crown structure.This should remedy diseased and dead branches etc at an early point, withthe aim of improving the trees vigor and longevity.To achieve this, the Grounds Maintenance (GM) service provider, within theexisting and future contract, is required to inspect on two occasions per year,the condition & health of the council’s staked & standard trees.As part of the inspection the Service Provider will adjust the tree stakes & tiesto provide support whilst encouraging anchorage; carry out any formulativepruning and provide a report of all works carried out to the client. The reportshould include a list of all dead trees, their locations, and probable cause ofdeath.ould be applied