Borough of Poole - Leisure Services

BOROUGH OF POOLE

ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW GROUP

29th JANUARY 2004

REPORT OF HEAD OF LEISURE SERVICES

TREE MANAGEMENT

1.Purpose of report

1.1To seek Members consideration of the management of Council owned trees in the Borough.

2.Background

2.1Trees form an important characteristic of the landscape in Poole. A great many of these trees are publicly owned and they offer benefits in terms of their visual amenity and also in terms of pollution control, climatic amelioration and as a home for a wide variety of wildlife.

2.2In order to retain their value and guard against deterioration trees need management. If such management is not carried out they threaten to become less of an asset and more of a nuisance or danger. Management can involve measures to deal with dead, dying or diseased trees but it can also involve dealing with the negative impact of trees. These occur mainly when trees grow in close proximity to houses. Problems can include loss of views, pollutant production and damage to structures, although on balance it is considered that the benefits gained from trees in Poole’s landscape considerably outweigh their negative impact.

2.3Trees are often a cause for disagreement as officers roles include not only ensuring health and safety but also protecting and conserving Poole’s trees. Inevitably an approach considering the wider benefits of trees to the landscape and community will lead to a different conclusion than that reached by an individual resident who finds their home too shady or who has disproportionate feeling that a tree might be dangerous.

2.4The management of Council trees has in the past been characterised by a reactive approach, whereby the Council’s Arboricultural Officers respond to complaints or urgent health and safety issues. This is supported by the fact that a number of experienced staff and contractors are frequently present on open space sites and can identify potential hazards and take appropriate action. However, this approach would be considerably improved by the inclusion of systematic tree surveying and recording of information to support more planned care of trees and officers have been working towards this aim.

2.5The implications of continuing a reactive approach to tree management without the measures already taken and proposed (as detailed below) is that a variety of negative outcomes are more likely to occur than if a proactive system of surveying were applied. These include:

Death or injury to passers by;

Damage to property due to falling debris or the tree itself;
Insurance or compensation claims made against the Council.
It should be noted that notwithstanding the above observations regarding the lack of proactive management of trees in the past, this has not resulted in a trail of accidents and claims against the Council. However, this apparently good record is masking the gradual deterioration in the health of the Borough’s tree stock, which inevitably occurs when proactive management does not take place.

3.Current Situation

3.1Recent trial survey work indicated a large amount of work which would necessitate significantly increasing resources allocated to this work. However, a more detailed look at the information suggests an inappropriate assessment of the risk and therefore the scale of the work needed. Officers have been concerned to treat tree safety seriously without making unreasonable bids for revenue funding increases that might not be achievable. In order to find the appropriate balance action has been taken and further action is proposed. The following actions have taken place within the last few months:

Reassessment of the survey work as the criteria for urgent work was inappropriate;
Investigation of a more pragmatic and achievable approach to tree surveying involving a broader balance of site managers and tree experts (see below);
Improve tree contract work to streamline the process of procurement and allow existing resources to go further;
Restricting non-urgent works to concentrate the available budget on urgent works only (2003-04 budget);
Prepare and submit a bid for capital maintenance works funding for 2004-05.

4.The Suggested Way Forward

4.1In order to manage the Borough’s tree stock in the most effective manner, take due regard to health and safety concerns and mitigate against claims that may arise against the Council in the event of a tree related accident, some form of regular tree survey is advisable. However, given resource constraints the initial thrust of any survey should be to identify the Council’s most urgent priorities, rather than amass a huge list of works that does not take into account the relative risk of particular locations and sites in the Borough.

4.2A detailed survey of every tree in the Borough would create the most comprehensive database of tree health in Poole but it inevitably takes considerable time and resources to complete. In the meantime perhaps the most urgent tree works in wards yet to be surveyed would not be dealt with. This suggests that a different, or combination of approaches is necessary to tackle tree management in the Borough.

4.3Any number of options exist, however none can provide any guarantees in relation to tree failure, but different approaches will to a greater or lesser extent reduce the likelihood of tree failure, improve safety and provide mitigation in the event of a claim against the Council.

4.4In order to identify an approach that not only seeks to address tree health and the related risks of tree failure but which also recognises the resource constraints facing the Council at this time it is proposed that the following approach be adopted:

(a) Routine visual inspections will be carried out by staff responsible for the management of open spaces in the Borough.

(b) If the capital maintenance funding for tree work is approved, it will be expended primarily on making trees safe across the Borough, with a proportion allocated to surveying. This surveying will be carefully organised to ensure we are working towards a manageable record of the Borough’s trees that will assist us in proactive and planned maintenance.

Key sites eg, Poole Park;

Main arterial routes (eg, Ringwood Road);

Playgrounds (eg, Lewesdon Drive);

Sheltered housing (eg, Stanley Pearce House);

Cemeteries (eg, Oakdale);

(d) Specialist arboricultural support will be provided from within Leisure Services in the event of routine inspections highlighting problems of a more sophisticated nature.

(e) Practical tree works will be provided by the Council’s external grounds maintenance contractor.

4.5If the above measures are successful it is hoped to reallocate a small proportion of budget to responding to local residents requests to deal with perceived nuisance from Council trees. This will reduce complaints and allow the Council to be seen as a ‘good neighbour’ generally, although it should be recognised that in our role of protecting trees for wider community benefit, there will always be occasions where individual residents will be dissatisfied, sometimes very strongly so.

4.6It is also important not to focus on controlling tree problems to the extent that no trees are replanted. Current policy is to replace trees which are removed, although not necessarily in the same place. It is intended that a small proportion of funding is always reserved for replacement tree planting.

5.Summary

5.1The Borough of Poole is committed to maintaining and developing its tree stock in such a way that its trees continue to contribute significantly to the well being of the Borough, its residents and visitors. Furthermore, the Council will seek to maintain its existing stock of trees in a safe condition for as long as they remain healthy.

5.2The management of trees, particularly following a period of under investment, is potentially a costly operation. It is recognised that resources for improving the management of trees in the Borough are currently limited, and that solutions that meet the Council’s obligations and responsibilities without placing an undue pressure on other service areas represent the preferred way forward. It is therefore proposed that the process as described in section 4 represents the appropriate way forward for Poole in the circumstances.

6.Recommendations

6.1Members are requested to:

(i) note the current position with regard to tree management in Poole

(ii) approve the process as described in section 4 for dealing with the Council’s responsibilities in relation to its tree stock in the future

CLIVE SMITH

HEAD OF LEISURE SERVICES

Contact:

Matti Raudsepp, Open Spaces Manager, 01202-261377