Tree Management

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Last revised: 9 May 2008

Peter Gray Tree -Inspection Officer

Please follow this link to fill out a Tree Management report form

The Council will, where possible, inspect all trees of which it has a responsibility for, to assess whether they represent a risk to life or property.A program of inspection will be undertaken.

  • An assessment of risk;

  • An assessment of hazard;

  • And a prescription of remedial action.

What does a Tree Inspection Officer do?

Peter Gray is the the Tree Inspection Officer at Kennet District Council. He completed a degree in Forest Management at Aberdeen University and worked for the Forestry Commission in the Forest of Dean for his penultimate year. After graduation Peter worked as an arboricultural consultant in Bury St Edmunds before joining Kennet District Council in April 2005.

Tree inspection involves diagnosing mechanical faults, pests, diseases and decay within trees and evaluating any likely risks to public safety or property. This is undertaken in line with Kennet District Council’s policy on tree inspection (Microsoft Word, 46 KB)

Tree Hazard Evaluation involves inspecting trees for signs of likely failure. This is carried out with the use of a survey method recommended by the I.S.A (International Society of Arboriculturalists) - the world’s biggest group of professional arborists. This includes an evaluation of many factors under the headings of Tree Characteristics, Tree Health, Site Conditions, Target (those that might be affected should the whole tree fail), Tree Defects and then an evaluation of the Hazard Rating of the tree part most likely to fail.

Many factors can bring about a failure of a limb, section or even whole tree. Sometimes easily readable signs of stress or mechanical instability are visible - this has been termed the ‘Body Language of Trees’ (Mattheck, 1994). Cracks within the tree are a common cause of failure. Internal cracks are often easily visible due to the slight changes in the overlying growth.

Certain types of decay can be very aggressive and cause various forms of cellular degradation; including decay that can make areas of wood extremely brittle like glass, or other decays that can strip the wood of all rigidity. If the extent of this decay is great in comparison to the undamaged wood, especially in the cross-section of a branch or stem, failure may well be imminent. The presence of internal decay can often be determined using a hammer to tap on, and around the suspect area. The resulting sound determines the density, and hence the integrity of the wood in question. Decay will, at some point, be accompanied by a fungal fruiting body, although finding it is sometimes rather difficult!

Whilst the identification of mechanical faults, aggressive forms of fungi, tree pests, and diseases is the ‘bread and butter’ of a tree inspector’s job. The work largely revolves around evaluating risk, weighing up the likelihood that if a tree or part of a tree fails, what is the possibility of someone being hurt? This is often referred to as the ‘Hazard Rating’, and dictates the priority of tree works.

Kennet District Council's Woodland Assets

Whilst Kennet District Council are responsible for thousands of street trees, those in and around car – parks, play areas and general open areas of space, Kennet District Council also manage Churchyard trees including- St Nicholas’s Church, Bromham, St Peters and St Mary’s Churches, Marlborough, St Georges Church, Preschute, and St Mary’s Church, Upavon.

Kennet District Council’s woodland areas within Devizes such as Drews Pond and Pine Walk provide a continual source of delight to both locals and visitors alike. With a wealth of habitat types in a sheltered and tranquil location, Drews Pond Wood is a haven for wildlife. The wildflower meadow and wetland area greatly promotes insect life within the woodland, vital for a flourishing woodland community! An extensive wheelchair friendly woodland walk, picnic area and wildfowl pond ensures that it is well worth a visit! It is hard to believe that it is within walking distance of Devizes town centre! You may like to take a virtual tour of Drews Pond Woods