Potting Shed Feb 2017. Tree Works

It's been a busy time at water tower wood. Even the dreaded month of January slipped by without concern for short daylight days. It's now mid February and in the last 2 weeks the Potting Shed works have started.

But lets go back a bit, to the end of last year. 


Not long after planning permission was granted for the potting shed, a "works to trees" application by Dalkeith Tennis Club appeared on the planning web site. The application included the removal of a poor specimen Poplar tree on our ground. Should permission be granted they said, then our permission would be sought. May seem strange to some, but it is perfectly acceptable to raise a planning application on any property. If planning permission is given it is up to the owner of the land to then allow the works to go ahead.

Not surprisingly the Poplar tree was granted felling/planning permission and we happily engaged with the contractors who came to price for the task on behalf of the Tennis Club. This same Poplar tree was requested to be felled about 6 or 7 years ago by ourselves, but at this time, permission was not given. 

Hey ho. I'm sure there was good reason at the time.

This Poplar tree is hard against the tennis club fence and directly behind the new potting shed site. Felling will have to be completed before the shed is built to make life easy.

Meeting with the contractors made me look at hard at the grouping of trees. Meeting with one particular contractor, Frontier Forestry, I was less than impressed at their attitude on our site and as a result, after much discussion with G, we decided that we would carry out our own tree works and keep all under our own control. 

Looking at the site of the Poplar then and taking our own advice from Wilson Jamieson Forestry, we raised an application to fell the Poplar and the Sycamore next to it. The tree officer visited and discussed. Their agreement and approval is documented on the planning web site reference; 

17/00062/WTT | Felling and pruning of trees within the Eskbank and Ironmills conservation area | RP9 Dalkeith Water Tower Cemetery Road Dalkeith

Sycamore LHS with split trunk. Poplar RHS. Both to be felled. 

The e mail correspondence at the time.

5th Nov 2016

To info@frontierforestry.co.uk

Yesterday we had a visit from someone in your company who was preparing an estimate for tree works at The Dalkeith Lawn Tennis Club. In discussion on tree works, the death of a TPOd sycamore tree was raised by your company as “honey fungus - I can smell it” and “how long has your house been built - that’s what killed your tree”.
Such loose language accompanied by a criticism of the Forestry Research organisation is unacceptable.
I make no further comment at this juncture but I attach a copy of the report on the tree from the Forestry Research. Please beware raising opinions on house build foundations, tree death and any other comments/criticisms associated with the property behind the tennis club, when your lack of knowledge was so very evident.
Regards
Susan Goldwyre

I attach the tree report and e mail from the forest pathologist for your info.

Report attached from Dr Steven Hendry
Forest Pathologist
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian
EH25 9S)
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Dear Susan,

Thanks for your email.  I am just back from holiday.

I have been an arborist for 25 years and been involved in the investigation and removal many hundreds of dying and dead trees so I can assure you that my knowledge and experience isn’t lacking.  I have also worked on a number of sites where Forest Research have also been involved (we are also based at the Bush Estate) and as it happens I have the highest regard for the good research done by members in this organisation.

I have no interest in the reasons why your tree died because I have not been asked to look into it and FR have clearly investigated it in great detail and drawn their conclusions.

Best wishes, Andrew

Andrew Jenkins (Managing Director)

FRONTIER FORESTRY LTD - Urban and Rural Tree Surgeons

Bush House, Edinburgh Technopole, Milton Bridge, near Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0BB

Tel: (0131) 445 8652  Fax: (0131) 445 8699

Email: andrew@frontierforestry.co.uk, Web:  www.frontierforestry.co.uk

Company No: SC192 181  Registered in Scotland.    VAT No: 789 7792 31

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Dear Andrew

If it was yourself who visited at Cemetery Road recently then it was yourself who gave a less than glowing opinion on Forestry Research. 

I am delighted however that you have them in the highest regard after all.

Kind Regards

Susan Goldwyre 

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