Pro Arb January 2017

JANUARY 2017

AN INTERVIEW WITH

TOP TEN TIPS

MAGGIE WRIGHT

WORKING NEAR

LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON

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SOUTHAMPTON BRINGS TREE SURGERY IN-HOUSE

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CONTENTS

PRO ARB MAGAZINE January 2017 | Volume 4 | Issue 1

Welcome 04 AGENDA Will you be raising your prices in 2017?

06 NEWS A roundup of industry news

Business 09 AN INTERVIEW WITH Maggie Wright, principal tree officer at the London Borough of Sutton

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PESTS AND DISEASES Bartlett Tree Experts offers expert advice on the red palm weevil

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LIFTING OUR VISION Jonathan Hazell considers how aboriculturists can stay relevant

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SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL An inside look at the council's tree strategy

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THE FUTURE OF ARB Our special report on where our industry could be headed in the

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WELCOME

elcome to our first issue of 2017. We at Pro Arb are looking forward to working with you this year to explore and better the industry as best we can.

As you will read on page 15, Southampton City Council had made the decision to stop tendering its tree works out and is bringing tree surgery in house. This seems to be an increasingly common route for councils these days, with a number of tree officers we’ve spoken to either thinking about bringing the work in house or having already done so. The reasons behind Southampton's choice are, however, sensible: to cut costs due to budget restraints, for better communication and to be able to work to its own time constraints.

This is something that we will probably be seeing more and more of – the Sheffield issue may be a catalyst for this to become the norm.

Also in this issue, we’ve taken a look at what can be expected for the future of arboriculture, in a special report following on from a debate held at FutureArb in November 2016. We’ve spoken

to some key personnel in the industry who have offered their thoughts as to what we have in store, and their response has been very positive.

Check out page 18 for our report.

As well as the above, we’ve got tons of useful information such as the top tips for working near power lines, plus pages of the latest arb tech, kit, vehicles and PPE. Have a great month.

JOE WILKINSON

coming years

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TOP TEN TIPS Best practice and guidance for working near power lines

Kit 24 TOOLBOX We find out from Holder Tree Services what it prefers in terms of kit and equipment

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WHICH WOULD YOU BUY? Commercial vehicles

29 LATEST KIT Chippers and PPE

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TRADING WITH Makita

Regulars 34 CAREERS 35 WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM ANCIENT TREE COLUMN

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ALL ENQUIRIES Tel: 01903 777 570 Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA EDITORIAL Commissioning Editor – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com Production Editor – Susie Duff susie.duff@eljays44.com Editorial Reporter – Joe Betts joe.betts@eljays44.com Editorial Assistant – Max Dodd max.dodd@eljays44.com Subeditor – Charlie Cook charlotte.cook@eljays44.com ADVERTISING Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Sales Manager – Luke Chaplin luke.chaplin@eljays44.com Sales Executive – Laura Harris laura.harris@eljays44.com Horticulture Careers – Liam Colclough liam.colclough@eljays44.com

PRODUCTION Design – Kara Thomas, Fay Pritchard, Mandy Armstrong Printed by Pensord Press Ltd Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd CIRCULATION Subscription enquiries: emily.maltby@eljays44.com Pro Arb is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2017 subscription price is £95. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers.

The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

FOLLOW US ONLINE www.proarbmagazine.com Follow us on Twitter @ProArbmagazine Like us on Facebook Proarbmagazine Connect to our LinkedIn group Pro Arb UK For careers in arboriculture and horticulture go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk Every week we send out ‘Pro Arb: The Tuesday Recap’, in which we highlight the most popular news stories from the last week. If you aren’t subscribed to The Tuesday Recap but would like to be, please email Amber Bernabe at amber.bernabe@eljays44.com If you would like to send us press releases to post online and potentially feature in The Tuesday Recap, please email Joe Wilkinson at joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Cover image © Rob McBride @thetreehunter

MANAGEMENT Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson Director – Lisa Wilkinson Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson

Pro Arb | November 2015

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AGENDA

AGENDA PRO ARB ASKS INDUSTRY INSIDERS

“WILL YOU BE RAISING YOUR PRICES IN 2017?”

JONATHAN HAZELL

Owner, Jonathan Hazell Consultancy “I see no reason to drift my prices higher – an increase in my hourly a e seems u jus i a le I can anticipate that some new clients will ask me for one of a few standard products which, even at the 11th hour, they didn’t know they needed and certainly have no particular interest in, such as a tree report prior to moving, or for the trees on a development site. Locally, these process driven reports are price sensitive and have well defined pricing points, and so if I try to drift my prices northwards I will lose the instruction.

Sometimes, that may be a deliberate move on my part; other times I’ll simply play the game and keep my price below the threshold in order to keep my name in front of the figures in the background (estate agents, developers, architects, planners etc.).

I also have a number of established clients who value my involvement and seem happy to pay my fee for a required outcome, such as consent or a workable arboricultural method

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statement. Being an all-round nice jolly chap I see no reason to drift my prices higher for these people either – my overheads haven’t changed, and an increase in my hourly rate for the sake of it seems un ustifiable in times of political and economic uncertainty. If I was overwhelmed beating clients o with a stick, then perhaps an increased hourly rate might help.

PHIL HYATT

Contract manager, Glendale Managed Services “We’d love to raise our prices, u e cou cils a e ei i i ei ud e s

Arborist representative, Bartlett Tree Experts

We’d love to raise our prices, but all the councils are reigning in their budgets so we have to reduce our prices to carry on winning the work. Unless something substantial happens with the finances in the country this is the be all and end all of our situation in 2017.

e as ed e e le ac i March 2016 – we decided that e s ould e old

CHRIS HOARE

JON COULING

I don’t think we will be raising our prices in 2017. We grasped the nettle back in March 2016 when things started to get quieter regarding the political agenda going on at the time. We decided that actually, rather than retracting away from that, we should be bold, so we actually hiked our prices quite dramatically in March 2016 to see us through the next couple of years. As a result, we posted fantastic returns at the end of 2016.

Director, Christopher Hoare Tree Services Ltd e com a y ill y o a so cos s y im o i e e cie cy o ou o a isa io With just a few days gone of the new year, we at Christopher Hoare Tree Services Ltd have not made immediate plans to increase our pricing. e aim to o er fantastic value

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to our clients by providing a service of the highest quality, whilst maintaining competitive pricing. The company will try to absorb the ever increasing costs that we face by improving the efficiency of every aspect of our organisation so that cost increases aren’t passed on to our clients. However, this is not always possible, and there may come a time when our prices need to be increased, but we are keeping a close eye on our cash flow to ensure this would only ever happen as a last resort.

NICHOLAS JONES Operations director, RW Green

“There isn’t really any scope in the current conditions to put prices up.

You have to remain competitive” The plan is to stick to our current pricing strategy. I think at the moment with the way the market is, it’s not incredibly buoyant.

There isn’t really any scope in the current conditions to put the prices up. You have to remain competitive.

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ANDREW GALE

Company director, Andrew Gale Tree Surgery “The aim is to be competitive but still meet the margins that we need to meet” At the moment there is no need to raise prices. However with recent events, it may be something we have to look in to.

In the news at the moment they’re talking about putting fuel prices up, insurance is something that always seems to creep up and unfortunately we’ve been broken into a few times over a last couple of years so that might have an impact – but there is no immediate need. We like to give the best value, we’re not the cheapest but not the most expensive. The aim is to be competitive but to still meet the margins that we need to meet, while producing the work

NEXT MONTH

that we need to produce. While we’re doing that, there’s no need to raise the prices.

MATT CLEMENTS

Tree operations manager, Teign Trees “The area is competitive, with smaller companies competing for the work we consider our bread and butter” We’re not raising our prices this year. The area is very competitive, with lots of smaller companies competing for the work that we consider our bread and butter. We’re an AA approved contractor and we’ve kept prices the same to compete with the non-AA approved companies around here, but we’re also paying for the correct insurances and everything you need to do correctly as an AA approved contractor. Therefore our prices have to be exact.

Pro Arb asks: Should the Arb Association accept personal as well as company memberships?

Have your say: joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com

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NEWS

NEWSBEAT

A roundup of all the latest arboriculture news from around the UK. For more stories visit www.proarbmagazine.com

EXAM SUCCESS AT INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED FORESTERS

FÖRST WOODCHIPPERS STRENGTHEN CONNICK TREE CARE FLEET

Thirty-two candidates have successfully completed the examinations at the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF).

These new Professional Members will now be permitted to use the title Chartered Forester or Chartered Arboriculturist and the post-nominals MICFor. Of the 35 candidates who submitted for Professional Membership Entry (PME) in 2016, 24 were promoted to Professional

After purchasing Först TR8 and ST6 woodchippers in recent years, Connick Tree are has e panded its fleet of Först woodchippers by two.

The new ST8 woodchippers will primarily be used in street tree situations, on roadside jobs and domestic and commercial properties.

Much of the work Connick Tree Care undertakes is in tight environments, meaning the manoeuvrability of the machines is vital. On jobs with difficult access points they need to be able to unhitch the machine and ensure it only requires one or two colleagues to move it around efficiently and safely.

Membership and awarded chartered status.

The successful PME applicants have now reached the end of a structured assessment that has established a level of knowledge, understanding and professionalism required for professional membership of the institute. www.charteredforesters.org

OVER 50 NEW TREES TO BE PLANTED IN HULL CITY CENTRE Mature trees from the nursery that grew the saplings in London’s Olympic Park will line the public realm in ull as the first phase of work nears completion.

Fifty-six trees are currently being planted along Jameson Street, King Edward Street and Queen Victoria Square, with more planned for Beverley Gate and Queen’s Gardens in the spring of 2017.

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Back in 2015, each new tree was individually selected from a nursery in Holland that specialises in providing mature trees, something not currently available in large quantities in the UK. Species include Acer zoeschense, Platanus acerifolia and interesting multi-stem trees for Jameson Street.

Mike Connick, managing director of Connick Tree Care, commented: “We turned to Först because the build quality of the machines is excellent and the performance is second to none. From a design perspective, Först have looked at the way contractors operate and identified the issues other machines have. This has allowed them to develop chippers that don’t adopt the little niggles others might.” www.connicktreecare.co.uk

www.hullcc.gov.uk

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NEWS

JEREMY BARRELL APPEARS ON THE ONE SHOW Arboricultural Association (AA) Registered Consultant and long term Fellow Member Jeremy Barrell has appeared in a segment on The One Show about heffield s street trees.

The episode was aired on 4 January and is available on BBC iplayer. The segment looked at the way in which trees have been felled in heffield asking whether the work was necessary.

The AA put forward Jeremy after the BBC contacted it for impartial expert comments.

The AA has said that it hopes this will be a good opportunity to advocate the sustainable management of trees to a national audience, and for the importance for clear lines of communication and collaboration between all relevant parties to be emphasised once again. www.bbc.co.uk

PLACE SERVICES APPOINTS NEW PRINCIPAL ECOLOGIST Sue Hooton has been appointed as the new principal ecological consultant for Place Services at Essex County Council.

Sue was a senior ecologist for u olk ounty ouncil for 28 years. One of her key achievements was establishing the register of u olk s ounty ildlife ites one of the first of its type in the country, and embedding this in the planning system.

Outside of work Sue holds several voluntary roles including chairman of the u olk at roup and voluntary adviser for the u olk ildlife Trust.

Adrian Gascoyne, head of Place Services, said: “As one of the country’s leading ecologists, we are absolutely delighted to welcome Sue to the team. Her knowledge and experience will be hugely valuable.”

Sue Hooton said: “I am very excited about this new challenge, supporting planning and sustainable development with ecology working together.” www.placeservices.co.uk

TED GREEN AWARDED RFS GOLD MEDAL FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICES TO FORESTRY Ted Green, one of the country’s leading authorities on ancient trees, woodland fungi, forest soils and associated micro-organisms is to be awarded the Royal Forestry Society’s (RFS) Gold Medal for Distinguished Services to Forestry.

He is credited with doing much to bridge the gaps between forestry and conservation and has influenced the debate in forestry and

arboriculture for more than 50 years. Over his long career, Ted has put forward theories on the importance of managing ecosystems. He was a founding member of the Ancient Tree Forum in 1993 and is an MBE.

Derick Stickler, chairman of the RFS southern division, said: “He speaks with passion and enthusiasm, and presents his audience with ideas that are often treated with scepticism at first but which are now part of mainstream debate.”

Gold Medal awards are a rare achievement. The last person to be awarded one was Bede Howell in 2012. www.rfs.org.uk

SEVEN MILLION TREES TO BE PLANTED AS PART OF HS2 FIRST PHASE More than 650 hectares of new woodland will be planted between London and Birmingham as part of the first phase of to help reduce the visual impact of the line and create valuable new wildlife habitats. The trees will create a new series of landscape features, replace lost woodland and help to create ‘green

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corridors’ linking isolated wooded areas with new planting.

Seven million trees and shrubs will be grown in the UK by family-

run Crowders Nurseries in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. The new planting will be a mix of native species tailored to each location, with a particular commitment to reintroducing species currently in decline, such as the Midlands hawthorn and the black poplar, widely considered to be the UK’s most endangered native tree.

Robert Crowder, managing director of Crowders Nurseries, said: “We are thrilled to have won the HS2 contract to provide all of the trees and plant material.

This deal constitutes the biggest ever contract in our 218 year history and I feel that it’s a great honour.” www.crowders.co.uk

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BUSINESS

An interview with

MAGGIE WRIGHT PRINCIPAL TREE OFFICER, LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON

Maggie Wright is the principal officer at the London Borough of Sutton, and speaks to Pro Arb about the challenges that come with defending trees from over-development and how the public influences the future of their trees How did you get into arboriculture? started o working for the as a gardener. orking with them gave me the opportunity to travel to the other side of the world to see rare plants was lucky and also managed to get a bit of work e perience with the team at the helsea lower how which involved a lot of standing around in the rain advising the camera crew on plants . or reasons that appeared perfectly sound at the time left that ob and the uiet sanctuary of the rose garden to retrain in arboriculture. thought it would be more e citing but had no idea how hard tree work would be.

Acceptable work speeds whilst at college are not necessarily reflective of the pressures within a commercial environment.

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The ob took was on moor where the tree is a long drag from the truck and the snow can be up to your knees. was eventually fired for not being fast enough accidentally setting fire to moorland etc. took a post as a temporary tree inspector in Torbay and was then o ered a post as tree officer at the ondon orough of utton. ve been here ever since taking the post of principal tree officer in the planning team in .

What is your role at the London Borough of Sutton? y role at utton is a dual role spanning both arboriculture and landscape architecture. As well as advice on all matters relating to trees development and protection also o er the planning team advice on landscaping and

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BUSINESS

landscape architecture for larger proposals and public realm schemes.

The ‘twin hat’ approach works well; I look at integrating trees into the landscape where landscape architects haven’t thoroughly considered the needs of the tree, and tackle the need to create a sustainable relationship that isn’t going to turn once the tree establishes.

In terms of development, there seems to be a trend at Sutton where applications are pushing structures closer and closer to trees. Land value dictates that there is a lot of over-development and conflict obviously follows. y role at utton is to work with the consultants to try and negotiate some form of balance.

What are your responsibilities? hen m not o ering comments on applications I try to maintain accurate records of our TPOs and create new orders where threats to significant trees arise. hen took the post in

2014, the TPOs were in need of a shake-up; I found orders that were duplicated, orders that we didn’t know about, and orders covering trees that had been missing for decades. We’ve since acquired a database – everything has been surveyed and will be moving towards online selfchecks in the New Year. nforcement action also takes up a significant portion of my day, where case construction requires attention to detail and can absorb a significant amount of time. ailure to attend to the finer details can sour the case rather uickly and you need to ensure the manner in which you approach a case is fair and proportionate.

What’s the reason you got into the local authority side of arboriculture?

Being able to climb and being good at commercial tree surgery are two very di erent things. I wasn’t any good as a tree surgeon, but it turns out my forensic (OCD) attention to detail suits the planning post rather well.

So what does the council do in terms of tree work?

We have a term contractor that carries out the street, parks and schools works, managed by en orris in the parks team. Oak processionary moth has reached Sutton, and we’re lucky to have a contractor who is very capable in this regard. utton also o ers a hour emergency callout service, when trees and branches fall in storms. Sutton’s geographical location makes it a risk when the wind picks up, so Ben and his team organise that on a rota with the help of the contractor, City Suburban.

The tree stock includes a large number of veteran trees. One particular sweet chestnut was a regular recipient of fire damage so we closed the cavity with a wooden door fashioned out of locally felled Redwood. The tree is very popular with residents. I think we also have London’s tallest plane tree; our contractors love that one too!

We have some ageing decay detection tech should any concerns arise, but this is usually only wheeled

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There seems to be a trend at Sutton where applications are pushing structures closer and closer to trees out to o er a graphical representation for members of the public or the committee.

What are the challenges you’re facing?

Applications and consultations are always rising; Sutton has, within the past 18 months, received more major schemes and public realm improvement pro ects than in the last five years combined. The office is busier than ever and it can be rather stressful spinning many plates at the same time.

Use of conditions is getting trickier. Planning officers are being encouraged to be more careful with them and individual case officers vary in their approach to the use of conditions, so I see this becoming a point of argument in the future.

What often creates extra work is where trees get picked up as a scapegoat for unwanted development; trees get brought into the discussion where they wouldn’t normally be considered a constraint. It can be rather frustrating.

One major challenge is trying to get developers to recognise that they need to consider trees during development; it’s not just lip service to get the planning application through.

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BUSINESS

How is the budget?

The street trees budget is slightly below average for a London borough and includes tree works training and sta costs for the highways team and our insurance premium, which is kept relatively low by Ben’s proactive management in areas where subsidence is a problem. The planning roles and associated costs (compensation and legal etc.) are absorbed into the planning budget.

Do you get a lot of community engagement?

Yes, but there is scope for developing more.

Sutton organises several planting and training events, and these are quite popular.

We also have a couple of large residents groups who are fantastic ‘eyes and ears’, spotting young trees su ering unauthorised works, threats to trees and potential new orders.

We consult with them on everything that goes on in their area. here applications or notifications threaten veteran or popular local trees, there is usually a significant public presence. The last notification to work on a veteran chestnut got its own Facebook page and received around 100 objections. It does create more work, but I would rather have the public involved in the decisions a ecting their trees.

Our industry has some high profile, highly professional female arborists and consultants who are viewed on the quality of the work they do Do you think the public’s knowledge and understanding of trees has grown?

To an extent. People will respect the needs of the tree until the point at which it causes damage to their property or prevents development. That isn’t likely to change; the consuming need of urban development will always compete with the needs of the tree, particularly where people are relying on development to fund retirement or care.

When it comes to hiring staff, do you look at taking on apprentices?

We have a couple of admin apprentices handling

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the TPO validation and applications. I think apprenticeships are a good way of someone getting into the industry, particularly given the part-time training options available.

Do you think that the perception of arboriculture is predominantly ‘men who swing chainsaws’?

I think attitudes have changed in the last 10 years, but I still get calls from residents who think I’m the ‘admin girl’ and ask to speak to the real boss. Very occasionally, developers and builders sometimes fail to guard the contempt they have for tree protection but their problem isn’t gender based – they just want to get on with the job and regard the tree as a green thing in the way.

Our industry has some high profile highly professional female arborists and consultants who are viewed on the quality of the work they do, so as far as I can see I don’t think perceptions need to change. Compared to other ‘land-based’ industries I think we’re rather lucky.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

When I’m outside of work the real work begins, but I like the concept of free time. My husband is serving in the army and I have one young son, teenage step-children, and an obstinate and seemingly untrainable Beagle x foxhound pup.

I’m also midway through the online BSc (Hons) degree at Myerscough. It’s a challenging course and sometimes I struggle to put in enough time so that I’m happy with my work, but I think with the changes coming to local planning authorities, arbs need to prepare for the future and be able to defend their role within the team.

CONTACT London Borough of Sutton, Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1EA Tel 020 8770 5000 Web www.sutton.gov.uk

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RED PALM WEEVIL Bartlett Tree Experts provides an overview of a new pest intercepted at an Essex garden centre: the red palm weevil

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his new pest has been announced in the media over the past few months, so an overview of the pest and what can be expected once it establishes in the UK is needed.

Red palm weevil has been intercepted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency after a customer at a garden centre in Essex handed in the pest. Both adult and larval stages of the weevil were identified on the plant which had been imported in a consignment from an EU country. Red palm weevil was first recorded in rance in where it has a ected palm trees within the rench iviera such as Cannes Croisette and Nice’s Promenade des Anglais. Concerns are now that this pest could be a threat to palms in the UK, with more sightings likely and populations establishing here in the UK. Red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a species of snout beetle, native to tropical regions of Asia and established in areas of Africa and Europe. There have been isolated sightings within the US, but no established populations have yet

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been reported. There are several palm species a ected by this pest including coconut and date.

Biology Each adult female weevil can lay up to or eggs in holes in a tree and the larvae feed throughout the trunk. Once this has caused significant damage to the crown the tree is unable to produce new fronds and dies within months.

The larvae can often be heard if you put an ear against the palm’s trunk as they feed under the bark.

To protect themselves during their transformation into adult weevils, the larvae use dry palm fibres to weave a cocoon within which they can then pupate. This pest usually only infests younger trees, generally under years.

Management Control has been possible in countries where the pest is established using systemic insecticides, either injected or soil applied into or around the infected palm. However, no products are currently

The larvae can often be heard if you put an ear against the palm’s trunk as they feed under the bark registered within the UK for use on this pest. Pheromones and trapping have also been used with some success to monitor populations in Europe. Biocontrol options are available but the efficacy of these products has yet to be tested within a UK environment. cientific research has shown some palm species, including Washingtonia filifera and Chamaerops humilis, could be resistant to the weevil.

ABOUT BARTLETT Emma Schaffert is a research technician at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory.

Luke Hailey is a research technician and plant ecologist at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory.

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BUSINESS

LIFTING OUR VISION Jonathan Hazell discusses how aboriculturists can stay relevant, following on from a theme generated at FutureArb

When preparing an impact assessment be thorough, and when submitting a method statement make sure it’s relevant to the site in question and addresses every issue

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he presumption in public policy is in favour of preserving, retaining and maintaining the built form rather than an individual tree – whatever its arboricultural merit.

Under the Town and Country Planning Act, the planning authority has a duty to ensure adequate provision is made for the preservation or planting of trees when granting planning permission, and to make TPOs in the interests of amenity if it is expedient to do so.

I am fortunate to work as both an arboricultural consultant and tree officer in a planning department, so I get the opportunity to write plenty of reports on trees on development sites, or protected trees, and to read other consultants’ o erings. have the chance to work on tree protection legislation and regulation to improve the possibility of sustainable tree retention.

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However many reports that I read, or applications that set out to justify tree work, are too simplistic. They are often limited to a visual tree assessment and something from BS 5837. The author may wax lyrical about the condition of the tree and the work activity inside or outside the RPA, but if the report limits its technical output to a subjective opinion of tree condition and a circle labelled the RPA, it may lead clients to wonder why they need the input of the arboriculturist.

The odds are somewhat stacked against the arboriculturist. For example, a TPO is made because of amenity value and expediency, neither of which are defined.

On the other hand, an ecologist is asked to demonstrate the presence or absence of some particular critter, and the landscape architect is asked to describe salient features that contribute toward landscape character against existing templates.

How can the arboriculturist remain relevant and continue to be in demand? The most obvious first step is to thoroughly read and understand all of BS 5837, not just the parts about the RPA. The foreword includes: “It has been assumed in the preparation of this British Standard that the execution of its provisions is entrusted to appropriately ualified and experienced people, for whose use it has been produced.”

Return the compliment to the authors and use it properly.

Write reports that discuss the pros and cons of various alternative prescriptions before recommending a specific course of action. When preparing an impact assessment be thorough, and when submitting a method statement make sure it’s relevant to the site in question and addresses every issue.

Next, read the guidance from the government website on TPOs

and trees in conservation areas, which seeks to make sense of the complex rules involved.

The third stage of enlightenment is to use the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), guidance on which can again be found through the government portal. The NPPF sets out the government’s broad requirements for the planning system and provides a framework within which local councils can produce their own local and neighbourhood plans which reflect the needs and priorities of their communities.

ABOUT JONATHAN HAZELL Jonathan Hazell’s career began on the tools with the Ealing tree gang in 1980.

Senior roles in the public, charity and commercial sectors followed and in October 2011 Jonathan established his own arboricultural consultancy practice. www.jhazell.com

Pro Arb | January 2017 13

09/01/2017 15:16

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Conference Partners: Arboricultural Association, Ancient Tree Forum, Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Chartered Institute of Housing, Forest Research, Forestry Commission England, Fund4Trees, Green Infrastructure Partnership (TCPA), Institute of Chartered Foresters, Institution of Civil Engineers, London Tree Officers Association, Municipal Tree Officers Association, National Association of Tree Officers, National Joint Utilities Group, Place Alliance, Society for the Environment, Trees and Design Action Group, Urban Design Group, Utility Arboriculture Group, Woodland Trust.

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09/01/2017 14:58

BUSINESS

INSIDE

SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL Southampton City Council has chosen to bring its tree surgery back in house. Pro Arb visits the council to learn more about the trees of Southampton, how the council manages them and how it’s improving its relationship with the public Southampton City Council has recently made the call to stop tendering out contracts for tree work and instead build a team of its own. arah iss tree officer for the council explains why the decision was taken: “There were three main drivers. Number one is financial our budgets have been slashed so we couldn t a ord to pay enough to keep the level of work we needed, even just to meet our safety requirements. Secondly, having our own team doing both inspections and carrying out the work is better for communication at each stage. Finally, it means we can carry out the work that we want on our own timescale.”

Boosting the budget Not only does bringing the team in house save money, it also provides the council with an opportunity to bring in revenue. Nick Yeats, parks and open spaces manager, explains: “With a private contractor, obviously any income is all theirs. We now have the ability to work with other authorities, large organisations and universities. We can do work for them and earn

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money to increase our budget and improve our capacity to carry out our own work.”

Essentially, the team has started a new business. Sarah however adds that the council is keen to ensure there is no negative e ect on local tree surgeons: “We’re being careful not to impact local companies too heavily – we don’t want to put anyone out of business. We’ve made sure not to poach sta from good local companies that we’ve worked with and we still buy in some services when necessary.”

We could use our waste from wood, such as chippings, to generate power which will have the added benefit of improving our carbon footprint The team is keen to be inventive when it comes to boosting their budget through increased revenue: “If everything does kick o we can invest the money into a biomass programme. We could use our waste from wood, such as chippings, to generate power which will have the added benefit of improving our carbon footprint.”

Loren Scott continues: “If in the future we’re able to build a biomass station we can o er this service out to other local councils. Even if they dump their waste for free we could still make a profit on it.”

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BUSINESS

Taking back control Why has the decision to take back complete control over tree work been made now? “We saw a window of opportunity that would be fairly non-damaging to start our own team,” Sarah explains. “We have advantages such as our own fleet of vehicles and a yard. aving a site suitable for a yard in an urban area is a huge bonus for us.

“It just felt like it was the right time. Our contractors were very good on the whole and had the contract for many years, but I think it got to the point where the amount of money available to pay for their service became unsustainable for us.”

Loren’s previous role at the council was as a tree officer he is now the tree surgery team supervisor benefitting the team by having personal experience in surveying trees in the area. The group agrees that in promoting and building the team from within, there is a drive to succeed and make a real di erence to the area.

“Previously with the contractors, nine times out of ten a report would come back that a tree needed heavy reduction or felling,” Loren explains. “Now we’re in a position to

In promoting and building the team from within, there is a drive to succeed and make a real difference to the area come up with the specification ourselves and are finding that we can actually keep these trees a lot longer without the need for continuous felling.

“One of the major advantages of the change is that we have regained a lot of control. We can set up a date and time for work to be completed and this allows us to give residents plenty of notice. With a contractor you don’t get this – you have to factor in when they are available which can be subject to change.”

Nick adds: “One of the biggest challenges we have is with needing to do work where there are cars parked. Before it would be impossible to arrange a time when the contractors could do the work and guarantee there would be no cars there.

With everything being under our control, it s more fle ible. e give residents a set of barriers and ask them to put them out when there is a space in the road and give us a call – that way we can come and do the work.”

On the subject of residents, we ask whether the team has noticed any change in

feedback from the public since the decision: “There is a good feeling among residents that when a tree surgeon turns up from the council they carry out work that they have asked for, with money that they have paid for from their council tax,” says Nick.

Sarah adds: “Our guys are really good at talking to the public and letting them know why work is being carried out, whether it’s because of disease or because a tree’s been hit by a bus. This helps to keep the public in the loop and helps keep their trust.”

Clean air zone In 2016 the government created a draft ‘clean air zone’ framework. As part of the report, Southampton was chosen as one of five cities in which a clean air one would be implemented. What role can trees play in creating cleaner air for our cities?

“We know how valuable trees can be within an urban environment in terms of trapping particulates, producing oxygen and converting carbon monoxide,” Nick states.

“We’re currently working with Environmental ealth to find initiatives around the docks to make the area greener.

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BUSINESS

Southampton City Council’s website:

“We have council commitments to planting more trees, which is directly linked to our pollution policy, but unfortunately this comes on the face of budget cuts. This is why we are looking at more ways to create additional funds.”

We have council commitments to planting more trees, which is directly linked to our pollution policy, but unfortunately this comes on the face of budget cuts Nick explains that the team doesn’t select trees based just on their visual amenity – they select trees with hairier leaves, as these are the parts that help control air pollution.

As Southampton is a port, Sarah acknowledges that its trees could be more susceptible to diseases from the continent than other areas of the country: “With an ever-changing climate, we’re always looking to increase the number of tree varieties we have, as we can’t be sure that the current

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stock will always be there. We are a likely entry point for diseases so we’re working with Forest Research to survey our trees.

This is very helpful for us in identifying anything, and it also gives them an early warning sign if they do find anything.”

The moment you enter the city of Southampton, you realise immediately how many trees there are for an urban environment. There are huge central parks in the middle of the city with a wide range of trees; along every road there are rows of green. It’s clear that trees are an important part of this city.

In 1956 it became local policy that all council owned trees, whether they had legal protection or not, were treated as though they had a TPO. Although tree officers have the right to perform certain works on the trees if they wish to make heavy reductions or fell, they are required to take it in front of a panel to make a final decision.

With the population in Southampton topping 250,000 and the need for new accommodation increasing, it would have been easy to flatten the land and make way for new housing – Nick believes the robust

approach the council has to its tree policies is why the city still has 18-20% canopy cover.

It’s still early days for Southampton City Council having its tree surgery back in house.

However, early signs suggest that the move looks to be having a positive influence on its budget, its ability to bring in revenue and its relationship with the public.

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09/01/2017 15:35

BUSINESS

MARKET REPORT WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE

ARBORICULTURE INDUSTRY? Pro Arb takes a look at what the future may hold in terms of technology, biosecurity and funding

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS

BIOSECURITY CHALLENGES

ENCOURAGE THE NEXT GENERATION

TREE CONSERVATION

REGISTER FOR

QUALIFIED CLIMBERS The arboriculture industry has evolved beyond recognition over the past years and with recent e orts by the Arboriculture Association to improve the s biosecurity alongside an increase in health and safety regulations and a number of advancements in technology, changes look set to continue. ollowing the Association s statement in August there are now new biosecurity re uirements companies must adhere to if they wish to be listed as an approved contractor. imon ie managing director at Artemis Tree ervices says

this highlights a simple way to improve the industry for the future any companies fi nd the Arb Association s current list of approved contractors a daunting a task to get on to. Having an additional individual register would be useful for all parties.” e continues am really keen for the Arboricultural Association to adopt a register for all ualifi ed climbers. f you are a ualifi ed climber and reach the e uivalent of you should automatically go onto a list which anyone can check to see what level you are at.”

WE NEED TO PRESERVE THE TREE STOCK THAT WE HAVE BY AND CHESTNUTS ARE UNDER THREAT, WE NEED TO WORK NOW

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PR TO

BY W

BUSINESS

FACING

BIOSECURITY CHALLENGES

ARBORICULTURE

AS A CAREER A topic that was raised at the FutureArb event in November is that arboriculture is not promoted as a genuine career path for those at school.

Barry Folland is domestic contracts manager at Christopher Hoare tree services where they take on apprentices every year.

We asked him whether he feels the industry as a whole could do more to reach out to the next generation: “I think it could be promoted in schools a bit earlier, certainly in those middle years when you are thinking about career choices.”

How would today’s arborists be able to help achieve this? e could o er work e perience to give them a taste of the industry. If they come in for a week and observe what is going on and even get involved in projects where they are hands on.”

Simon N’jie believes that you really need to love the industry to be able to forge a career within it: “It is a tricky one because arborists have a traditionally short shelf life unless you move into consultancy or become a tree offi cer ” he says. ou have to really enjoy the hard physical aspects of it and being outside in all weathers. For me personally I got into it because of the lifestyle, so that could be promoted more.”

In August of last year, the Arb Association released a statement about the increasing need to improve the country’s biosecurity saying: “It is imperative that we acknowledge these threats and look at how we can all help to prevent and mitigate them.”

Within the statement the Association suggested a number of measures that the industry should take. These included the need to adopt a biosecurity risk assessment policy and that all arisings from pruning, felling and planting are appropriately disposed of.

Keith Sacre is the arboricultural and urban forestry director at Barcham Trees. When he suggested a biosecurity policy to the board at Barcham it was put in place immediately. “Every tree that we import, and we import a considerable number, is guaranteed to spend one full growing season on the nursery and will be subject to ministry inspection and physiological health testing,” says Keith.

Barry Folland agrees that biosecurity is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry: “We need to try and preserve the tree stock that we have by preventing new pests and diseases.

With some of the diseases from the continent, species such as ash and chestnuts are under threat, we need to work now to prevent losing a lot of key species in the country.”

We asked what else the industry should be doing following on from the Arb Association’s statement. “From now on all applications for renewal or to be included on the approved contractor list should demonstrate that they have a valid biosecurity policy and that they have risk assessments in place,” says Keith. He continues, “The biggest thing is awareness and the actions of individuals. We can put as many advice notes and conditions out there but unless people become aware of the signifi cance of importing pests and disease then it will not achieve much.”

PREVENTING NEW PESTS AND DISEASES. SPECIES SUCH AS ASH TO PREVENT LOSING A LOT OF KEY SPECIES IN THE COUNTRY

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BUSINESS

INCREASING

HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS

One big development in arboriculture is the increasing health and safety regulations and guidelines. Simon N’jie admits that to some this may be seen as a nuisance, but he feels there are valid reasons behind the changes: “I think we are moving in the right direction. We have to have more regulations such as PUWER and LOLER to ensure that our machinery and kit is checked so that they don’t end up hurting or even killing people. A lot of people moan about that because they think that the rules are too strict, but that has to be a good thing. As a business owner you need to cover yourself.”

ADAPTING TO

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS

One of the biggest changes that Barry Folland has seen during nearly 40 years in the industry is with regards to technology, especially when it comes to climbing equipment. Technology has developed rapidly with the introduction of MEWPs and decay detection equipment. “I remember when I started climbing we were using three strand nylon rope,” Barry says. “Obviously with the single rope technique and everything that has come in since then, there has been a big change.”

Barry expects tech in the industry to continue to grow: “When I was doing my training people used to joke that one day we wouldn’t need to climb as we would be doing it all from the ground with lasers. If you think about the amount of changes you see over a lifetime it is difficult to imagine what will have been developed by the time we get to retirement age. Things will probably have jumped on massively again.”

Is an increasing amount of technology a good thing for the industry?

“I don’t know,” says Simon N’jie. “Climbing trees seems to be such a natural thing, but even so we use MEWPs whenever we can now. I’m sure that in the future technology will mean that climbing will become a much smaller part of the job. It’s the same with anything, most of us don’t like change but most of the time it is for the better. You can’t look into a crystal ball and predict what is going to happen in 50 or 100 years from now.”

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I’M SURE THAT IN THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY WILL MEAN THAT CLIMBING WILL BECOME A MUCH SMALLER PART OF THE JOB. IT’S THE SAME WITH ANYTHING, MOST OF US DON’T LIKE CHANGE BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT IS FOR THE BETTER

DEVELOPING

STRATEGIC

TREE MANAGEMENT

Keith Sacre would like to see a development of strategic management when it comes to urban forestry, especially in the form of more community involvement.

“I would like to see an improvement in the techniques used to plant trees,” Keith explains. “Sixty to seventy per cent of all urban forests are actually in the hands of private land owners. I think we need to raise awareness of the importance of conserving these trees so that they can buy into a strategic view of their forest development and management. I would also like to see the i-tree adopted as a strategy for all urban areas as this will allow each area to construct meaningful baseline strategies for their urban trees.”

The i-tree is a suite of peer reviewed software tools developed by the USDA Forest Service. The software has been designed to help urban foresters and planners assess and manage urban tree populations and to fully understand the benefits that they provide.

Heading into the future, while there is work to be done, there is plenty to be positive about. The Arb Association’s biosecurity statement of last year and new requirements for the approved contractor list should raise awareness of what needs to be done to work against the diseases that currently threaten our trees. The i-tree software o ers more information for urban foresters which can only be beneficial to these areas in the long run.

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

09/01/2017 15:38

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BUSINESS

TOP TEN TIPS

FOR WORKING NEAR POWER LINES The Utility Arboriculture Group collaborates with Pro Arb to provide you with top ten tips for working near power lines

1

2

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The usual safety distance during tree felling operations near identiďŹ ed electrical e uipment is the individual or speciďŹ c tree height plus the vicinity zone. FISA 804 has more information and although focused on forestry activities, the information is relevant to any tree work.

If you are planning tree work or anything other than felling operations within 10m (measured at ground level, horizontally from below the nearest overhead electric equipment), get competent advice from the owner of the equipment (called the Network Operator). This is the current HSE guidance.

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BUSINESS

3

4

Electrical equipment usually has the network operator’s name on it and an emergency contact number. You should have easy and quick access to such emergency numbers for your work areas.

Look for any overhead wiring or electrical equipment near to the work areas but also adjacent to any access routes. How high is your chipper chute or vehicle?

Could this come close to an overhead conductor?

Electrical equipment can be as low as 4.3m.

8

9

How high is your chipper chute or vehicle?

Could this come close to an overhead conductor?

5

6

7

Consider the possibility of underground services in the work area. Schematic diagrams and plans can help identify services but cannot be relied upon to be completely accurate. Consider this when breaking ground for any activity.

10

Remember electricity can arc through the air – tree branches do not have to touch the equipment to conduct electricity.

Overhead electrical equipment can still be live even if it has fallen to the ground. Do not go near such equipment as it can become live and conduct electricity through the ground. When using MEWPs, consider how far it could potentially reach – it must not be capable of reaching electrical equipment during use, even unintentionally.

For more information, we encourage you to join the AA’s Utility Arb Group (UAG) as a virtual member – you will get safety alerts that the group coordinates that you could use as toolbox talks or operational guidance.

Be mindful of branches penetrating the ground or creating shock waves which can a ect and potentially damage services.

All overhead lines and other electrical apparatus can be extremely dangerous, and the vicinity zone (a zone around the live equipment which if breached could lead to arcing) increases with the voltage.

ABOUT UTILITY ARBORICULTURE GROUP Utility arboriculture represents an estimated £150m of arboricultural work in the UK each year adjacent to electricity supplies, plus work adjacent to rail, waterways and telecommunications networks.

It is important that the standards of tree work and safety are consistent nationwide and this is the principal objective of the Arboricultural Association’s Utility Arboriculture Group. www.trees.org.uk/About-Us/ Utility-Arboriculture-Group

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FEATURES

TOOLBOX Pro Arb visited Holder Tree Services which covers West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey and Kent to ask about its preferred kit

Tractors We invested in a Valtra T130 tractor with an 11t timber trailer and forestry crane attached which can lift between . to t. This improves our eďŹ&#x192;ciency of clearing sites greatly and we can also use it to feed the chipper with the grab attachment making it a highly e ective piece of machinery.

Chainsaws

e use a full range of tihl chainsaws from to s.

The main reason for this is that we have a local dealer for tihl saws making repairs and purchasing new e uipment convenient.

Stump grinders We choose to use a Predator stump grinder for its versatility. t can be reduced down to in allowing for narrow access but still has the si e capability to handle bigger clearances. t s mounted on tracks with a ton winch attached to the back meaning that we can pull over larger trees or stuck vehicles.

24 Pro Arb | January 2017

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Loaders We run an Avant 640 loader due to its high weight bearing capabilities, which mean that we can eďŹ&#x192;ciently move a large uantity of waste from a clearance site in a short space of time.

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09/01/2017 15:29

Commercial vehicles

FEATURES

We use two Ford Transits as they are easy to service with low cost for spare parts. They’re also small enough to get in and out of sites with relative ease and drive very well. We also run a Toyota ilu which is incredibly reliable. t has a great system and o road tires along with very good towing capabilities of up to 3.5t.

Chippers We use two Forst chippers, one 6in wheeled and one 8in tracked chipper. We’ve attached 3.5t winches to the front of them, allowing us to pull trees straight in. They’re high quality machines with exceptional pulling capabilities. They also come with three year warranty and exceptional customer service which we see as an essential.

Climbing equipment We use zigzags – they’re very easy to use and we combine this with the double rope system. For accessing more challenging trees we opt to use the single rope techni ue with a range of di erent ropes.

PPE In our helmets we have Senna Bluetooth headset systems which are exceptionally clear. We’ve adapted them to be used on motorcycles as well so we can all communicate between obs. y using this system our sta are a great deal safer on large commercial sites with large machinery being used. We also use Stein trousers which are good for climbing as they’re hard wearing and still give us good manoeuvrability.

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WHICH WOULD YOU BUY? COMMERCIAL VEHICLES Pro Arb rounds up the best of commercial vehicles Vauxhall Movano Tipper Price from £25,698 Engine size variable 2.3L diesel engines available Payload up to 1,122kg Internal storage capacity from 4.58m cubed CO2 emissions 189g/km Miles per gallon up to 40.4 The Movano Tipper features a five stage chrome-plated underfloor ram and 50° tip angle. The tipping mechanism employs a high performance 2kW electro-hydraulic power pack which can be easily operated by one person, using handheld controls on a wander lead. The Movano boasts flexibility to match the van’s capacity to your business needs with GVWs at 2,800kg, 3,300kg, 3,500kg and 4,500kg to fit all of your requirements. www.vauxhall.co.uk

Isuzu Truck UK 3.5t Grafter

Volkswagen Caddy panel van

Price from £251.34 per month Engine size 2,999cc Payload variable Internal storage capacity 2.54 cubic metres CO2 emissions 234g/km Miles per gallon 31.63

Price from £15,275 Engine size 1-1.4L petrol, 2L diesel available Payload from 735kg Internal storage capacity from 3.4m cubed CO2 emissions 120g/km Miles per gallon up to 61.4

The Isuzu 3.5t Grafter is rugged and reliable. Its bulletproof 3L diesel engine is economical, it can easily tow its own weight (3.5t) and it comes with a three year unlimited mileage warranty.

Available in short or long wheelbase and manual or seven speed DSG automatic. Fitted with the Euro 6 2L 102PS TDI and utilising 250Nm maximum torque, the Caddy BlueMotion panel van can deliver a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 65.7mpg2 with CO2 emissions of 114g/km2.

www.isuzutruck.co.uk

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www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk

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KIT Ford Transit Van Price from £22,670 Engine size variable 2L diesel engines available Payload from 872kg Internal storage capacity from 9.5m cubed CO2 emissions 174g/km Miles per gallon up to 44.1 Reliable, powerful and safe, even more so thanks to a range of new Ford EcoBlue 2L TDCi engines that have increased power and fuel e ciency whilst reducing emissions.

The Transit is engineered for longer service intervals to further reduce running costs. www.ford.co.uk

Nissan e-NV200 eletric van

Toyota PROACE

Price from £13,847 Engine size electronic engine Payload up to 703kg Internal storage capacity 4.2m cubed CO2 emissions 0g/km Miles per gallon N/A

Price from £18,660 Engine size 1.6 or 2L diesel available Payload from 1,000kg Internal storage capacity from 4.6m cubed CO2 emissions 137g/km Miles per gallon up to 54.3

With no internal combustion engine or traditional transmission, it has fewer moving parts than the average van, leading to low maintenance costs. Because the e-NV200 produces zero emissions while driving and is virtually silent, early morning deliveries in residential areas are easy.

Choose from two body options, both with a versatile interior that allows you to configure racks, bins and seating to suit your needs. The van is easy to load with a cargo floor height ust 52cm from the ground.

The P OACE o ers solutions you can trust to meet every ob with a total of 11 body style and length combinations, plus a selection of door configurations available. Toyota also o ers a five year 100,000 mile warranty. www.toyota.co.uk

www.nissan.co.uk

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KIT

PSD Groundscare TS Industrie GS/Tiger 25D

CHIPPERS

The mixed rotor, developed and patented

by TS Industrie, combines blades and hammers to shred all kinds of wood and green waste up to 14cm. It incorporates a six-fold reduction in volume, additional blades and additional hammers are used to shred the green material, thereby ensuring a longer service life for the blades. A versatile and powerful machine for professional arborists.

Price £22,320

latest kit

Först XR8 Traxion The XR8 Traxion is a fast, versatile woodchipper that has been designed to traverse banks and slopes up to 35° with ease. It features a parallel linkage leg system that allows users to expand and retract legs independently for safe and stable tracking on the bankside, as well as class leading ground clearance to negotiate difficult obstacles. Powered by a 50hp, four cylinder Kubota diesel engine, the XR8 Traxion produces low down torque to power the large orst flywheel. The engine also drives the hydraulic pump directly through the engine s power take o which means all torque is transferred directly to the tracks.

Price £39,600

www.psdgroundscare.com Global Recycling M250 Gardenline The chipper is 100% Belgian with a focus on simplicity of construction whilst maintaining quality. The chipper weighs in at kg and is fitted with a hp riggs Stratton engine. It has a 3.15in capacity and maintains the same drum knife configuration as the rest of the range. At only 24in width it is ideal for those who require a small chipper.

Price POA www.globalrecycling.eu

www.först-woodchippers.com

Fuelwood Machinery Heizohack HM4-300

Timberwolf TW 280TFTR

Capable of turning tree surgery and site clearance waste into a valuable biomass fuel, the Heizohack HM4-300 is a popular drum chipper for tree surgeons looking to capitalise on this profitable market. The grading sieves are interchangeable depending on the size of woodchip required, ensuring a quality of fuel that is impossible to achieve with any disc chipper. This chipper contains four blades that can be re-sharpened on site with an angle grinder and replaced for only £7.50 each.

Price £21,995 www.fuelwood.co.uk

Auto-feed control for smooth operation, combined with a heavier rotor giving added inertia. The TW 280TFTR has a low vibration and ergonomically designed ride-on platform for additional comfort and safety. It incorporates a two speed tracking system to negotiate difficult terrain and a capacity of 210mm. It also has a ground clearance of 245mm to tackle uneven surfaces along with a low centre of gravity enhancing stability on di erent gradients.

Price £38,712

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www.timberwolf-uk.com

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KIT

PPE

latest kit

WorkWare Haix Groundsman XR21

Husqvarna Technical Extreme chainsaw waist trouser The Technical Extreme chainsaw trouser 20A (20m/s, EN381 class 1) is part of a new range for 2017. ith a slim fit and advanced stretch material for high comfort and ergonomics when working, Technical Extreme is Husqvarna’s ultimate range of protective clothing for work in the toughest environments. There is a new strong reinforcement on critical areas, ventilation zips and an array of pockets. Removable braces are included and the waist can be adjusted for a perfect fit. The newly designed garment has gained a brand new feature in this update, the Tech-Knee.

Additional pre-bent layers give enhanced protection as well as a waterproof layer for working more comfortably in wet conditions.

Price £310

New to the Haix range of safety boots for cold weather is the Groundsman XR21. This boot has the same qualities as the Groundsman X21, with the extra addition of a woven fur lining to help keep your feet warm in cold weather. The inside of the boot still has Gore-Tex Performance, four layer Gore-Tex laminate combined with woven fur lining. This makes the boot waterproof and breathable, with optimized climate comfort even under extreme conditions. The Kevlar puncture resistant sole makes this an S3 boot, with anti-slip rubber/PU sole. Compliant with EN ISO20345:2011. The Haix AS System has optimal support with shock absorption within the arch provided by an anatomically formed last.

Price £134.43 www.workware.co.uk

Harkie Innovation2 Smock Tough, light, airy and waterproof.

The all new Innovation2 Smock o ers greater free movement and more airflow along with a slick new design. deal for keeping the rain o when you’re up a tree, comfortable, durable, and means you comply with regulations if you’re working on the highway or railway. This smock has an internal wicking layer and additional ventilation enabling you to keep dry inside and out.

Price £115.44

www.harkie.co.uk

www.husqvarna.com/uk

FR Jones and Son Haix Protector Ultra chainsaw boots

Stihl Advance X-Light trousers

Haix Protector Ultra chainsaw boots are strong, reliable and comfortable – these smart chainsaw boots are a great choice for any tree surgeon or arborist. They have class 2 cut protection with a suede, hydrophobized, breathable and 2.8-3mm thick upper material. The inner lining is waterproof made with abrasion-proof lining fabric and a fleeced inner layer. The foot bed is comfortable, impact absorbing and moisture wicking and the separate heel cup ensures optimized cushioning and foot guidance. These boots have an anatomically designed wide cushioned toe cap for protection. The Haix Protector Ultra chainsaw boots also have a sturdy vibram rubber/PU anti-slip sole with a rugged profile.

Price £220.96

A 2016 addition to Stihl’s PPE range includes the Advance X-Light trousers. Made from ultra-light, breathable Avertic pro lite cut protection material, developed exclusively for Stihl, these dynamic chainsaw protective trousers are made up of six layers and are the lightest in the Advance series. At 1kg they are manoeuvrable for busy professionals and with black ventilation fabric on the back of the leg, they are ideal for hot days. The trousers also boast a fully elasticated crotch with ProElast, closable pockets and reflective areas for optimum visibility when on the job.

Price £165

www.frjonesandson.co.uk

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www.stihl.co.uk

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IT WORKS FOR ARBORICULTURE

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JANUARY 2017

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Secateurs, hedgeshears and the world’s finest pruning saws in superb, tempered Japanese steel KST 230

unfogable mesh eye protection KST 217

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KST 103

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Hayauchi 490

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TRADING WITH MAKITA

Pro Arb speaks to Mark Earles, business development manager, outdoor power equipment, of global power tool manufacturer Makita, about its growth within the UK market and its plans for the future of its products Can you tell us about Makita and how it has developed?

Makita started life as a small repair shop in Japan and now operates in more than 150 countries. Makita has been operating in the UK for 45 years, and having established its Telford production facility in 1989 today produces around 66,000 power tools every month, 78% of which are exported around the world.

Best known as a market leader in the construction industry power tool market, Makita entered the garden machinery sector 25 years ago with acquisitions of Dolmar from Sachs (1991) and Fuji Robin Industries Ltd (small engines in 2007). The Makita Corporation has continued to secure an increasing share of the UK’s grounds maintenance, landscaping, and forestry markets.

What are the main products you supply?

Within the grounds maintenance, landscaping and forestry collection,

akita o ers a range of cordless electric and petrol products including chainsaws, linetrimmers, brush cutters and more.

Cordless tools represent a significant proportion of our product sales and is clearly the technology of the future.

Contributing to the company’s sustainability policy, battery powered groundscare machines mean that exhaust emissions are zero, petrol engine exhaust fumes are eliminated and the risk of ground contamination from spilt petrol and oil is also removed.

four-stroke petrol engine with fully pressurised lubrication; the Lithiumion battery platform that powers more than di erent products in the range; brushless motors for extended run time and machine life, and the M2M vibration dampening system for chainsaws.

In fact, the MM4 engine is at the forefront of technology. It delivers more horsepower, torque and reliability than the same capacity two-stroke engine and achieves greatly reduced emissions with up to 40% less fuel consumption, with lower noise and vibration levels.

What are the key values of Makita?

The Makita philosophy is that we design and manufacture professional tools for professional operators.

In terms of training we’re the only power tool supplier to o er a full training programme, of which many courses are certified by professional bodies, from our base at Milton Keynes. We work closely with landbased colleges and organisations such as BALI and the APL to ensure apprentices and students are the best they can be, even at international level.

What are the key selling points of your products?

Makita products are designed for professional operators where rugged reliability, high productivity and tool durability are essential factors in earning a living.

In recent years Makita has introduced innovative features such as AVT, Anti Vibration Technology, to reduce HAV risks even in the heaviest tools; the MM4 mini

What are your lead times?

From our UK headquarters at Milton Keynes we strive to deliver to our dealers within 48 hours, helping to ensure contractors are inconvenienced for the shortest possible time.

For the second year running akita has been a finalist in the A Affiliate ceptional ervice Award, which sums up our service at every level.

Have you anything new for the upcoming months?

We regularly introduce new machines and improved versions of existing tools, with our next introduction due for this month.

Of these new introductions will be a long-awaited addition to our chainsaw range. We’ve also created the world’s lightest petrol chainsaw and the innovative twin 18V battery powered LXT cordless chainsaw, a concept which generates a significant of power.

CONTACT

ark arles

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Trading With Makita.indd 33

Makita (UK) Ltd, Michigan Drive Tongwell, Milton Keynes MK15 8JD Tel 01908 211 678 Email customerservice@ makitauk.com Web www.makitauk.com

Pro Arb | January 2017 33

09/01/2017 15:21

CAREERS

For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

Call 01903 777 574 or email liam.colclough@eljays44.com with your vacancy

DEPUTY ARBORICULTURAL OPERATIVE

ARBORISTS REQUIRED

Our client runs a successful landscape and grounds maintenance business which carries out work for a variety of clients, including housing developers, housing associations, local authorities and construction companies as well as undertaking works for the Highways Agency. An exciting opportunity has become available for a deputy arboricultural operative to join the expanding AA Approved Contractor team.

The successful candidates will be punctual and reliable, have a willingness to undertake further training, be comfortable working alone and as part of a team, and have a positive attitude and good work ethic. The ideal candidate would have a minimum of two years' experience working in an arb environment.

The Tree Company is a well established Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor with current termed contracts with The Royal Parks specialising in veteran tree management. We currently require a hiab driver for our tree surgery grab lorry, preferably with arboricultural experience, but would consider all applicants.

We also require further climbers/groundstaff for our long standing client base.

CS30, CS31, CS38 & CS39 preferred.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

ARBORICULTURE OFFICER

SKILLED ARBORIST

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth present a unique opportunity to be part of a team who are working together to create a ground-breaking shared staffing structure across both boroughs. Based in Richmond this role will be responsible for the monitoring of arboriculture contracts and providing regular performance information to enable effective contract management, considering and commenting on any relevant planning applications to ensure compliance with the council’s statutory obligations and policies with regard to trees.

Our client is looking for a skilled arborist to join its team on its estate based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The ideal candidate will have excellent knowledge of tree and fungus identification, climbing experience, and experience in implementing tree work specifications, completing health and safety checks and completing site risk assessments. The successful candidate will hold the relevant arborist qualifications as standard which include the NPTC units CS30, CS31, CS32, CS38 and CS39.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

NORFOLK

LONDON

WEST LONDON

WALLINGFORD, OXFORDSHIRE

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10/01/2017 11:00

The

ANCIENT TREE

ANCIENT TREE COLUMN

column

Each month we feature an ancient British tree.

This month the Ancient Tree Forum introduces us to...

The Brimmon oak, Powys, Wales The Brimmon oak was voted Wales’ Tree of the Year 2016 in a contest for communities around the UK to celebrate and care for their favourite trees.

This well-loved oak tree had been threatened by the planned Newtown bypass which would have come within 3m of the trunk, but in early 2016 after much local campaigning, ministers agreed to adjust the route of the new road

to give the Brimmon oak and its roots better protection. The decision was made to have a 15m root protection zone around the tree.

The Ancient Tree Forum (ATF) recommends having a larger root protection area than the minimum recommended by British Standard 5937, especially in cases like this where the tree is irreplaceable. The ATF recommendation is a radius of 15 times the stem diameter at breast height, or 5m beyond the edge of the tree’s canopy, whichever is the greater (see the guidance in Ancient and other veteran trees: Further guidance on management, available from the ATF’s website). However, achieving an extra 10m radius of root protection in these circumstances was considered by the ATF to be a great achievement.

Almost 5,000 people signed a petition to save the Brimmon oak after a Facebook page was set up by the tree’s owner Mervyn Lloyd Jones, with the

The Brimmon d oak was vote e th f o e Wales’ Tre st te n co a Year 2016 in s ie it n for commu K around the U d n to celebrate a r care for thei s favourite tree

assistance of campaigner Rob McBride, resulting in the Welsh Assembly Government agreeing to ‘bend the bypass’.

“Mr Jones’ family has farmed the land for hundreds of years, and family photos include one of a wedding photo taken underneath the Brimmon oak in 1901, which shows how special this tree is,” says Rob McBride. “It’s a fantastic piece of Welsh heritage and we’re delighted it’s been crowned

Oak was declared the overall champion of the four UK winners.

The Ancient Tree Forum champions the biological, cultural and heritage value of Britain’s ancient and veteran trees, and provides advice on their value and management at www.ancienttreeforum.co.uk

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© Photos by

opens in February.

The UK Tree of the Year contest, organised by the Woodland Trust, attracted a number of other nominations for ancient trees in 2016. These included the Bowthorpe oak and Old Knobbly in England, the Craigends yew and Birnam oak in Scotland, and the Belvoir oak in Northern Ireland.

The winning trees were revealed at the end of December, and the Brimmon

Rob McBride @thetreehun ter

Wales’ Tree of the Year.”

A grant for the winning tree of £1,000 will be spent on management, monitoring and promotion. The Brimmon oak will now go on to represent Wales in the European Tree of the Year competition, for which voting

Pro Arb | January 2017 35

09/01/2017 15:10

SHARPENS YOUR PROTECTION You’re looking for good and comfortable chainsaw protective trousers at a sharp price that would look great in addition to your other SIP Protection® clothing? Then our Sherpa-collection is the tradeoff you are looking for.

For the manufacturing of the trousers, we used a 4-way stretch ripstop fabric. The light design and soft touch of the clothes make them very comfortable to wear and don’t hamper your movements in any way.

In order to guarantee the protective qualities at all times, we equipped the trousers with waterproof lower leg reinforcements and an anti-wicking system to prevent water absorption by the blocking material.

Sherpa, that’s the high quality of SIP Protection® at a very sharp price.

Available in type A & C. www.sip-protection.com

TO FIND YOUR NEAREST DEALER, PLEASE CONTACT US

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EMAIL: SALES@WOWARE.CO.UK

TEL: 01228 591091 11:20 10/01/2017 11:13 09:37 27/11/2015