Whatever happened to the first weeks of January?
As in previous years snow has struck (but it was in February last year as I recall) meaning that our tree assessors have been held up: it has not been possible for Henry and Nick to make as comprehensive assessment of site conditions as they would like, and so our production levels on the Oxford contract are down. We now have two hand-held data loggers on the go; both are Magellan’s MobileMapper loaded with DigiTerra software, with which Henry and Nick are becoming most proficient!
Expressly interesting
Unfortunately I decided that I could not proceed to tender for the research project for which I had been shortlisted – I felt that the brief was too open and that there was simply too much risk involved for me. I do hope that someone with an arboricultural interest, and a stronger nerve, was able to make an offer so that the industry might stand a chance of seeing an end-user’s voice as the foundation for an important guidance document.
The Registered Social Landlord’s project is taking shape, but again has been delayed by snow on the ground – there’s no chance to identify the grounds maintenance features that the client wants if all we can see is snow! I have emailed a load of would-be assessors and surveyors with information about this job, and another in the Midlands – if you want to know more then please don’t hesitate to contact me direct!
I have been working on an offer to a London borough that wants to outsource almost all of their arboricultural expertise and service delivery, this is the sort of instruction that really floats my boat and so I’m looking forward to being able to hone and burnish my offer so that it dazzles!
In practice
I’m overseeing a small service delivery contract; again the weather has played its part here. Because the site is relatively well protected, the trees are small and some of the work can be done from the ground the contractor has brought me forward in his programme. Completion is scheduled for Monday, weather permitting.
I have tried to keep our field team busy away from a snow-bound Oxford, with a couple of other projects for colleagues in the office, one in Walsall and another in Harlow. It has been very interesting for me to discuss with Nick how he can bring his experience, as a former Tree Officer, to the reports that he has drafted for those instructions.
I hope that a small project in Nuneaton can soon be put to bed; it has been most helpful to me to have the opportunity to bring a range of valuable comments from the arboricultural professionals that I deal with into my report on behalf of my client. Hopefully, the outcome will be consent for the proposed development.
Showing posts with label planning permission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning permission. Show all posts
Friday, 15 January 2010
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Goodbye to 2009, welcome to 2010!
Happy New Year!
Over the past few days a number of initiatives have begun to crystallise, as ever when the key movers and shakers are on leave!
First, I have been very fortunate to secure the services of a Survey Assistant for our Oxford City Council project; Nick Burke will start with us on 4 January and give Henry Keays valuable support. Nick’s recent experience is as a Tree Officer and so not only have I been able to increase our capacity, but also capability. With that in mind I shall be able to call on Henry and Nick to undertake small instructions in the vicinity of Oxford.
The urgent tree survey for planning purposes was completed, I hope that it will prove to have been satisfactory for the client and the planners, but I must admit to feeling slightly uncomfortable: in my opinion there were no tree issues at the site that could be reasonably expected to hold up the proposed development and I fear that the report was required simply to complete the bundle of supporting documents.
Secondly, I’ve been invited to proceed to the next stage of a research project that aims “to provide authoritative and comprehensive guidance on the urban landscape design, planting, management and maintenance of large canopy trees” – I will approach this as an end-user and as a representative of the arboricultural community, as well as a commercial opportunity for Parkwood Consultancy Services – I hope I can marry those two strands together seamlessly!
The third project, for a Registered Social Landlords in the Midlands, is beginning to firm up in my mind and settle into a genuine opportunity, provided I can marry that particular project with another in the same region to spread the cost of the resource requirement.
Over the past few days a number of initiatives have begun to crystallise, as ever when the key movers and shakers are on leave!
First, I have been very fortunate to secure the services of a Survey Assistant for our Oxford City Council project; Nick Burke will start with us on 4 January and give Henry Keays valuable support. Nick’s recent experience is as a Tree Officer and so not only have I been able to increase our capacity, but also capability. With that in mind I shall be able to call on Henry and Nick to undertake small instructions in the vicinity of Oxford.
The urgent tree survey for planning purposes was completed, I hope that it will prove to have been satisfactory for the client and the planners, but I must admit to feeling slightly uncomfortable: in my opinion there were no tree issues at the site that could be reasonably expected to hold up the proposed development and I fear that the report was required simply to complete the bundle of supporting documents.
Secondly, I’ve been invited to proceed to the next stage of a research project that aims “to provide authoritative and comprehensive guidance on the urban landscape design, planting, management and maintenance of large canopy trees” – I will approach this as an end-user and as a representative of the arboricultural community, as well as a commercial opportunity for Parkwood Consultancy Services – I hope I can marry those two strands together seamlessly!
The third project, for a Registered Social Landlords in the Midlands, is beginning to firm up in my mind and settle into a genuine opportunity, provided I can marry that particular project with another in the same region to spread the cost of the resource requirement.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
A flurry!
As the weather outside turns wintry, with eddies and flurries of sleet, I’ve had a busy morning with a couple of very promising enquiries – one for planning permission for a residential property, via an urgent BS5837:2005 tree survey, and the second for a larger scale social development where both a tree survey and a phase I habitat survey are required in order to satisfy the local planning authority.
The first I can complete before Christmas, the second will require the architect’s and developer’s plans to crystallise and firm up a little more before I go into the field.
I’ve also renewed contact with an old friend, and it looks as though a very interesting scheme, to design a target-lead survey and tree risk management plan, will see the light of day in the first quarter of 2010.
Research projects
An opportunity to further the development of a local authority’s tree strategy has been put back, but only for a couple of weeks. I’m confident that we’re on the right path and that the work we’re doing together will help all the authority’s officers to demonstrate consistent and robust tree management to both the public and to members.
I have been invited to contribute to a learned conference in the spring, with a host of other “end users” to discuss the commercial impact of tree diseases upon the arboricultural industry, from nurseryman to woodchip dealer. I must start asking searching questions!
As the weather outside turns wintry, with eddies and flurries of sleet, I’ve had a busy morning with a couple of very promising enquiries – one for planning permission for a residential property, via an urgent BS5837:2005 tree survey, and the second for a larger scale social development where both a tree survey and a phase I habitat survey are required in order to satisfy the local planning authority.
The first I can complete before Christmas, the second will require the architect’s and developer’s plans to crystallise and firm up a little more before I go into the field.
I’ve also renewed contact with an old friend, and it looks as though a very interesting scheme, to design a target-lead survey and tree risk management plan, will see the light of day in the first quarter of 2010.
Research projects
An opportunity to further the development of a local authority’s tree strategy has been put back, but only for a couple of weeks. I’m confident that we’re on the right path and that the work we’re doing together will help all the authority’s officers to demonstrate consistent and robust tree management to both the public and to members.
I have been invited to contribute to a learned conference in the spring, with a host of other “end users” to discuss the commercial impact of tree diseases upon the arboricultural industry, from nurseryman to woodchip dealer. I must start asking searching questions!
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