Maintaining the Trees Along Highways
If you’ve ever sat on the top level of a double decker bus, you’ll no doubt have noticed lightweight tree branches brushing against the roof! If you’ve sat at the very front you might even instinctively duck when you see oncoming branches!
It is the responsibility of the local authorities to look after trees that grow on highway verges.
They make sure there is enough clearance under trees that overhang the highway to allow for the safe passage of high sided vehicles like double decker busses and lorries.
Oxfordshire County Council require at least 5.2m of clearance.
Trees also need to be sufficiently cut back from the edge of the carriage way to allow for the clearance of wing mirrors.
It’s not just trees that overhang roads that need maintaining. If it wasn’t for regular tree maintenance you might hit your head on low branches whilst walking along!
Trees and vegetation overhanging footpaths should be crown-lifted to at least 2.5m.
Meeting the Requirements of Local Authorities
Local authorities need to maintain trees on verges in order to keep the traffic moving and they need to do so in a way that they can be sure they are getting good value for money from tax payer funds.
They need to use a firm they can trust and that they know can deliver.
Oxfordshire County Council require firms working on trees next to public highways to have at least £10 million in public liability insurance, the skill to complete work in accordance with the current British Standard for tree work (BS3998), and be capable of following statutory regulation for working on the highway, notifying the correct departments and using the correct signage, guarding and PPE.
Because we meet all these requirements, delivering a high standard of work efficiently and safely (not just for us but for other road users), Oxfordshire County Council use Climbers Way Tree Care to carry out tree maintenance along their verges.
We were recently tasked with works across multiple trees including felling, removing branches, dead wooding, cutting back from roads and crown lifting over footpaths.
We’re Experienced with Planning Road Closures
Before we could start work, we need to consider the safety of road users, pedestrians and our own tree surgeons. We need to protect our tree surgeons and equipment from passing traffic and make sure that road users and pedestrians are not at risk from falling debris.
Sometimes this requires full road closures in which case we need to plan the closure, get approval from the council, advertise the closure and inform all the relevant people.
That’s exactly what we did when working with Oxfordshire County Council.
Increased Efficiency with MEWPs
In order to reduce the amount of time roads were closed for we need to work as efficiently as possible. To help us with this job we used our new Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP).
Our MEWP allows us to work up in the tree canopy without having to climb up it with our tools. Since it’s mounted to a van it’s mobile and perfect for carrying out work on multiple trees by the road side. It’s also great for working on diseased or dying trees where climbing could be difficult due to reduced limb strength. Since we can get tools and tree surgeons into the tree canopy quicker it helps us to complete our work more efficiently allowing us to offer better value for money to local authorities.
This was another project with Oxfordshire County Council we enjoyed being part of and we look forward to working with their tree team again very soon.
If you require tree surgeons who have good relationships with local authorities and are experienced with handling road closures then get in touch with us for a free quotation
What is ash dieback disease?
Ash dieback is a serious fungal disease, caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, that can affect ash trees of all ages. The Woodland Trust estimate that it could kill around 80% of ash trees across the UK. As ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is one of the most common trees in the UK this disease could change our landscape forever!
A young tree infected with ash dieback could be dead within one season. Mature trees will survive several seasons of infection before succumbing to the disease. Some older, more mature, ash trees can survive the infection.
This disease is no risk to animals and humans.
How widespread is ash dieback disease in the South?
Unfortunately, the whole of the UK is now affected by ash dieback. It originated in Asia and has spread rapidly across continental Europe throughout the last 30 years. It was first recorded in the UK in 2012 but could’ve been around some years before it was noticed.
Ash dieback was first confirmed in Hampshire in 2014 and has been spreading ever since. Cases have been confirmed by Southampton City Council across a small number of council sites in the city.
Hampshire Highways carry out regular surveys of ash trees along the highway network. In 2018 they reported that less than 5% of the trees adjacent to the highway displayed severe signs of dieback, but this number is increasing. They point out that most trees adjacent to public highways, within falling distance, are the responsibility of private landowners and that all landowners have a legal duty to maintain their trees.
What are the symptoms of ash dieback?
Ash dieback symptoms include:
- Dark patches and blotches on the leaves that eventually turn black and wilt.
- Dark brown, diamond-shaped lesions where branches meet the trunk
- Unseasonal leaf loss and crown dieback
- Extensive dieback of shoots, twigs and branches
- Previously dormant buds start growing new shoots
If you would like peace of mind for your trees we can offer a professional opinion – get in touch with us if you suspect your tree has ash dieback
What should I do if I spot ash dieback in my tree?
Remember that you have a legal duty to maintain the trees on your land and liabilities can arise if trees and branches fall. You should ensure that any trees are inspected appropriately, and that action is taken so that these trees do not constitute a hazard. Especially if the trees are within falling distance of a public highway.
You should monitor the condition of the tree. Pruning and felling maybe required if the tree becomes a threat to public safety or your property.
Removal all ash leaf litter in the autumn and winter by burning, burying or composting in situ. You can put them in the normal rubbish bin but do not put in green waste bins for composting as this could go on to infect other ash trees.
You should also report it to Forest Research’s TreeAlert so that they can monitor changes to its distribution nationwide and advise local woodland managers
Do I need to have an infected tree felled?
Ash tree owners should take a balanced and proportionate approach. Not all infected trees need to be removed. Sometimes the disease can be managed with careful pruning. Some older, more mature, ash trees can survive the infection. But typically infection is fatal with young trees dying within one season and mature trees surviving several seasons.
As the tree weakens from the disease it can become more susceptible to other aggressive diseases. Dying trees can also be a safety hazard to people and property, in which case we would recommend felling or removal.
Ash dieback can also cause lesions at the base of ash trees which can facilitate colonisation of secondary pathogens like honey fungus. This can lead to structurally unstable trees.
Healthy ash trees should not be pruned or felled unless that are other managements reasons to do so. A precautionary measure is not required.
What are Climbers Way doing about Ash Dieback?
We are providing services to help identify trees infected by ash dieback in Southampton, Winchester, Oxford, Guildford and the surrounding areas.
Our qualified tree surveyors will inspect your tree and confirm whether its infected. If an infection is found we will make recommendations as to the best course of action, and can carry out any work if required, such as pruning, felling or dismantling.
When we work with an infected ash tree, we do our best to stop the local spread of ash dieback. It is important to minimise the spread of the fungal spores. We do this by:
- Burning, burying or deep composting all infected ash waste material.
- Cleaning our boots and equipment before and after working around ash trees, diseased or otherwise.
If you’re worried that your ash tree might have ash dieback or has already succumbed to ash dieback and could now be unsafe please get in touch with us
Nothing sends fear through a gardener like honey fungus. It’s a parasitic fungus, orangey brown in colour, that attacks and kills the roots of many trees. It’s one of the most destructive fungal diseases and no tree is completely immune!
But just because your tree is infected it doesn’t mean it always needs to be removed.
First of all there are several different types of honey fungus and they all differ by how deadly they are. And secondly the vitality and vigour of the infected tree needs to be taken into account; Whilst an infected tree may well eventually succumb to the fungus it could take decades to happen.
And that’s why we didn’t have to remove this tree we were recently called out to.
It’s mature tree that has a honey fungus infection in the heartwood but is otherwise healthy. It’ll still be around for some time but its stability had been weakened by the infection.
And with children often playing below it the last thing we want is branches to fall off or the whole thing falling over.
In order to improve the stability of the tree we gave the tree a crown reduction. We reduced the overall spread of the canopy and thinned it out. This means there is a reduced weight load on each union which will help to prevent branches breaking off. And a smaller lighter canopy overall will reduce the weight load on the trunk and reduce wind sail.
As an aside, did you know that the largest living thing on our planet is a single honey fungus? It lives in the Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, spans 3.4 square miles and is estimated to be 2,400 years old!
If you spot honey fungus on your trees make sure to consult an expert before making any decisions as every case is different. Get in touch with us and we will take a look at your tree and give it a full health assessment.
At Climbers Way we’re capable of taking on any job the construction industry can throw at us.
Here are some jobs we have completed recently.
Clearing 30 Acres of Woodland
In order for a construction firm to get started with their work they first needed to have 30 acres of woodland and scrubland cleared so they called us to help.
The majority of the work was juvenile trees ranging from 1m-7m, quite small stuff, but because it was riddled in bramble and ivy it could’ve been a difficult job.
But with the correct kit, a smart operator and great method any job becomes enjoyable.
And we had all three.
We started by mulching the light/thin bramble and shrubs first.
As the larger trees became accessible our team went in to fell them, completing their work so that when the mulcher returned it could deal with the remains.
With our mulcher we can cover a large area of thick material very quickly.
We usually use our 8 tonne machine with a mulching head, but when the spread of greenery gets too big for that, and with efficiency in mind, we switch to a larger mulcher on the back of a tractor.
Keeping the Trains Running
A line of mature conifers running alongside a railway had grown to such a size that the dense canopies were not letting the wind pass through.
This left them prone to the wind which is not safe next to a railway line so they had to be felled.
We used a winch to pull them away from the railway, and then stacked them with a 7 series Avant.
The trees where felled by means of a winch that pulled them away from the railway where they where stacked with a 7-series Avant.
Using our crane fed chipper we chipped the material into a large pile where it was loaded by telehandler into artic lorries that transported it away for biomass fuel.
800 Stumps on an Ex MOD Site
Our client needed an ex MOD site cleared of 30cm diameter softwood tree stumps. All 800 of them!
Instead of ripping them from the ground, windrowing them and getting in an expensive mulching deck we used our lovely PTO grinder.
The PTO driven grinder sits on the back of a tractor with a fully rotatable driver’s seats so that you can drive the machine right up to the stumps, and then using the remote controls, grind the stumps until nothing is left.
We had the site complete in 3 days leaving with a very happy client.
Excavator Mulching
On an estate that required a large site clearance there was a section that consisted of bramble shrubs and old small stumps.
We delivered our 9 tonne excavator with a mulching head and got to work.
The great thing about this machine is that you have a wide swing which allows a large area to be mulched in seconds.
And due to the excavator being on tracks we could get to all areas of the rugged boggy ground that a tractor may not get to.
The area was cleared in a day leaving the rest of our team a clear run for the other bits of felling needed on the site.
Making Room for a Bridge
A bridge was to be made to allow more foot passage to a new estate. But there was an area of woodland made up of mature poplar, willow and oak that had to be cleared first.
Once the trees were felled, the cutters cut the branches at the branch collars and the timber into set lengths where it was left to be collected.
An excavator with a grab then comes along and grabs the lengths of timber and brash and moves it to a location where there’s enough room for the crane fed chipper to chip the all the material.
On this occasion the chippings were left on the bank in order to suppress weeds to prevent future maintenance work.
Read more about our commercial site clearance and tree felling services.
We have always been big on efficiency at Climbers Way Tree Care as it means we can we can complete jobs faster and without compromising standards.
Efficiency benefits both the company and our customers since it keeps our operating expenses down and produces savings we can pass on.
Efficiency isn’t just for the work site though. It also includes our office where we aim to provide a high-quality and consistent service.
We recently had our business processes audited by an independent assessor and we’re happy to announce that we have been awarded an ISO 9001 (UKAS) certification.
ISO 9001 is an international standard for quality management systems and demonstrates our commitment to be more efficient and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.
