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Have you helped out on 'Ask an Arborist' lately?
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______________________________________________________________________
Ben,
I'm sure some Highway Officers will clarify the position, but IMHO the
tree is not a hazard in any form as long as it's in a healthy, sound and
stable condition and therefore, if someone hits it, it should be down to
their own stupidity. What about the thread some short time back where
there were trees retained in the highway. The HA would be strongly
advised to make an application unless it could be clearly demonstrated
the trees were exempt or a statutory nuisance. What about low bridges.
Do they modify them? What about street furniture ... Road signs, traffic
lights. How many of them are level with the curb and get struck by
vehicles.
Ron Howe
Tree Officer
Environment Department
Mole Valley District Council
Pippbrook
Dorking
RH4 1SJ
Direct Tel. 01306 879 286
-----Original Message-----
From: ben riches [mailto:treecraft@xxxxxxxx.co.uk]
Sent: Fri, 05 September 2008 15:21
To: UK Tree Care
Subject: Highway tree responsibility
______________________________________________________________________
Have you helped out on 'Ask an Arborist' lately?
http://www.tree-care.info/ask
______________________________________________________________________
A group of mature trees form a 'tunnel' over a well used country 'B'
road. This group is protected by a Group TPO.
A mature beech in this group has a large limb over the highway which
gives a clearance of 4.8m at the edge of the carriageway, less than the
5.2m requested by the highways department. The limb is so significant
that the loss of it will mean the whole tree will have to be remove due
to its 'unique' (wind battered) form.
The Highways Dept. have also requested 0.6m clearance in from the edge
of the carriageway be maintained. This would result in the loss of
approximately 4 more mature trees and a significant feature in this
small part of the world.
If a high-sided vehicle collided with this limb or any of the trees, who
would be responsible? The driver for driving without due care and
attention, the Highways Dept. for not maintaining a clear carriageway,
or the tree owner for allowing the tree to pose a hazard?
I guess as Highway Regs over-rule TPO protection that there is not a lot
can be done to protect these trees, or is there?
Regards
Ben
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