The site included a driveway and parking area for the dwelling and a garage building all situated to the front of the house. There was a semi mature Monkey Puzzle tree situated within the drive area in a formal circular bed. The formal area did not contain sufficient soil and moisture for the tree to mature and survive, and it was beginning to exploit water from the surface. In the process the original block paving and some of the stone circular feature was becoming distorted due to the tree’s rooting activity. Jonathan was tasked with providing a solution to allow the drive to be resurfaced and the tree to remain.

He came to the conclusion that if the tree was to be retained, then ait would require a more softer surface and more water to percolate through to its roots. The only way to do this would be to formally increase the rooting area, sever roots to a depth of 1.4m and to install a plastic root barrier along the line. Then the area of the drive which was to be tarmacked can then be resurfaced with a permeable tarmac. If the client followed Jonathan’s recommendations, then the monkey puzzle tree can be considered to be in adequate condition in terms of public health and safety and it should allow the tree to be retained, with a resurvey it in 5 years’ time.

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A total of 3 trees, a group of vegetation and one hedgerow were surveyed. Out of the vegetation surveyed, one of the trees, a mature sycamore was given a category 1 recommendation for removal. Category 1 recommendations are made for structural/safety reasons and are recommended to be undertaken immediately. Category 2 works are of a cosmetic or general nature only, and usually do not require to be carried out as urgently.

A group of vegetation including Hebe, Buddleja and Skimmia were given a category 2 status and our consultant recommended that these were to be maintained at the current height and spread.

The conclusion was after the category 1 & 2 recommendations were completed, then there would be no reason as to why the client couldn’t proceed with their mortgage application.

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Each tree was to be tagged and the information recorded saved into a database which we custom built for Wakefield District Housing. When we started the surveying, Wakefield District Housing did not know exactly how many trees they owned, where these were located or what condition they were in. Our task was therefore to identify the trees, record the relevant data (species, age class, stem diameter, canopy spread), make specific comments about each tree with regards to e.g. form, pruning history, note any defects and assess their physiological and structural condition. Where defects were identified which presented a potential hazard or where general maintenance was considered necessary, appropriate recommendations were made, including tree felling or pruning. As many of the trees were located within a residential setting, either within the gardens of the properties or within communal areas close to residential properties, we also had to speak to and address the concerns of the local residents, who often requested that the trees be removed or pruned.

We were therefore required to assess the works which the tenants had requested and find the balance which retained good relations between the tenant and the housing association (by recommending works which addressed the tenants requests), whilst being aware of the budget constraints of Wakefield District Housing and the potential for setting a precedent to the other residents with regards to tree pruning and removal.

Due to the volume of tree data, this information was stored in a database and presented to the client in the form of GIS shapefiles, therefore providing location data alongside the detailed tree measurements, condition details and safety recommendations. In this way, plans and schedules of trees could be easily produced, sorted by area, priority, etc. The survey ran from 2011 until 2015 and by the end of the survey we had identified, surveyed and plotted 31,000 trees. Since we concluded the survey, Wakefield District Housing now run their tree management and maintenance system in house using the database we provided. We still offer tree advice when requested and provide training on an ad-hoc basis.

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We were informed by our client that the damage observed at the property was due to clay shrinkage caused by vegetation. Based on this information and having made a detailed survey of the site and assuming the presence of shrinkable soil (subject to confirmation), subsidence damage has potentially occurred as a result of drying shrinkage caused by vegetation within influencing distance of the property.

Our arboricultural consultant identified that a Goat Willow Tree and Wisteria had the potential to be contributing to the damage observed. Therefore, our consultant recommended that these two items of vegetation were removed and the stumps treated to prevent any regrowth as a precautionary measure.

Our consultant also concluded that a number of trees were a possible future concern if left unmanaged. Therefore it was recommended that they be maintained at their current height and spread over the forthcoming years.

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