Hi Matt
Its a varied picture in my authority. We have a mix from PFI schools who
are managing their own sites via a third party, pretty much for everything
from the fence inwards, to schools that have `opted out' and pick and
choose where they get their services from, some of whom have Service Level
Agreements with us. Right through to schools that are still managed by
the department we sit in, which is Learning and Leisure Services. As
far as I can gather, of those, the only ones that can pull on an
identified budget are the ones still managed `in house' but even there the
take up is patchy with little or no proactive surveying or planning.
With over 350 schools only £15.5K spent so far in 05/06 with us. Most
of that comes from the in house lot, that is managed by their buildings
maintenance people. I think they tend to prioritise things like warm and
dry kids that don't get electrocuted or gassed, over tree work. Dealing
with immediate pressures out of very limited funds I suppose.
We operate pretty much as an agency to these external customers and if
there isn't an order to cover inspection, report and if appropriate,
works, then we don't give them the service. Quite a few of the opted out
schools did respond to a mail out by a third party company (that manages
things like electrical, fire and boiler testing etc) which pointed out
their duty of care to inspect and manage the trees that are their
responsibility. This generated a fair bit of inspection work but this
didn't always pan out. Especially when the school is only successful in
identifying an even greater potential drain on funds than they were
already (not) aware of!
If you have some mechanism for, effectively, subsidising them from your
service area or other budget holders, which doesn't impinge on your other
commitments, I would be interested to hear how it is done as I'm sure
there are a lot of stored up problems out there which will manifest in the
not too distant future.
Steve
Matthew Searle ES <matt.searle@xxxxxxxx.gov.uk>
19/12/2005 16:20
Please respond to uktc
To: UK Tree Care <uktc@xxxxxx.tree-care.info>, UK Tree Care
<uktc@xxxxxx.tree-care.info>
cc: Brian Stacey Countryside and Arboriculture Manager ES
<Brian.Stacey@xxxxxxxx.gov.uk>
Subject: School trees
Dear Forum,
We're trying to squeeze our Education department to pay for tree advice
and
remedial work from their 'ring fenced' Education budget. I'd be very
interested to see how other local authorities (and particularly other
County
Council's) deal with their school trees, and how their advice and the work
is financed?
Thanks
Matt Searle
Arboricultural Officer
Telephone: 01245 437790
Fax: userfax01245 437213
Internet: www.essexcc.gov.uk
Email: Matt.Searle@xxxxxxxx.gov.uk
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