Paul Hastings from Tenderleaf Ltd is qualified to foundation degree in Arboriculture (FDSc Arb). With 18 years, post graduate experience, Paul is an experienced tree report writer and knowledgeable in many aspects of arboricultural consultancy. Peace of mind or a proactive approach to tree management is often the driving force behind engaging an Arboriculturist. Fulfilling your duty of care is certainly also a very important bonus to ensuring your trees are well managed.
According to both the civil and criminal law, an owner of land on which a tree stands holds the responsibility for the safety of those on or near their land and could be held accountable for any liabilities arising from the falling of a tree or branch (NTSG)
The owner of the land on which a tree stands, along with any party who has control over the tree’s management, owes a duty of care to all people who might be injured by the tree.
In the last few years an element of uncertainty has arisen regarding the management of trees for safety. The rare Incidents where a falling tree or branch has killed or injured a person has stimulated this ambiguity.
Your duty of care can be fulfilled by taking reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions that cause a reasonably foreseeable risk of injury to persons or property.
When managing the risk from falling trees, as with any risk, it is essential to maintain a balance between the costs and benefits of risk reduction (QTRA 2012). A system for periodic, proactive checks is appropriate to ensure your duty of care has been fulfilled.
Tenderleaf can carry out formal tree inspections that will highlight trees of higher risk and that may endanger persons and property. Whether it’s one tree or 100 thousand trees Tenderleaf can provide a bespoke tree surveying service providing digital data results and maps for informal, formal and detailed tree inspections.
Types of Survey and Reports Include:
- Basic ground based visual tree assessment
This type of report is designed to be easily interpreted with a fast turnaround and is aimed at home owners, landlords and estate agents who wish just to fulfil their basic duty of care. This type of survey can be carried out as part of a regular tree management process.
- Detailed Tree Report
This more in-depth tree survey, covers in a greater level of detail, aspects such as the significance of defects and future management, whether it be for the mitigation of risk or the longevity of the tree’s health. The survey will be presented with scaled maps denoting the location of all trees in a digital format.
This type of survey is perfect for people who require not only a greater level of risk assessment but also need guidance with the future management of their tree stock. This document is designed to fulfil the duty of care expected of home owners, landlords and estate managers, businesses, parish councils and schools.
- Tree Surveys
This type of survey is designed for the owners or managers of large populations of trees that require frequent tree surveys to record condition, location and required management. Aimed at estates, local authorities, and other large land owners this survey utilises the best GIS mapping software to provide usable data that can be added to your pre-existing database. Significant discounts are available for subsequent surveys once an initial purchase has been made.
- BS5837 Tree Surveys
BS5837 Trees in Relation to Design, Demolition and Construction Recommendations surveys with accompanying Tree Constraints Plan (TCP), Tree Protection Plan (TPP), Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) and Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) if required. Support can be provided, throughout the construction process, to assist in your continual responsibility to protect retained trees.