Im sat here reflecting on a very interesting day at the National Tree Officers’ conference which went ahead in Leeds on 6th November.
Wondering how to capture all of the nuggets of information that I picked up and so I thought I would share it with others who might be interested by way of a blog.
Im going to highlight some parts which I found particularly interesting but, with my lawyer hat on, I need to say that does not imply that the parts I don’t mention were not interesting. As ever, the event was full of an inspiring mix of speakers and a very rich selection of topics.
Glenn Gorner, Natural Environment Manager of Leeds City Council kicked off the day. Glenn spoke at the Tree Law conference in Leeds last year and it was great to see him again. He set the tone for the day brilliantly, welcoming us all to Leeds, setting out climate change as a key driver for the commitments made by Leeds, including to plant 50 hectares of trees every year from now up to 2045 (having start in 21/22).
Al Smith, Director of the Association of Tree Officers – spoke about the importance of the tree officer groups across the UK. There are between 900 and 1000 tree officers across the UK, some working alone or in small teams. Therefore the importance of community, friends and knowledge sharing is a key part of the tree officer groups. Al gave a shout-out to Shona Carle in Newport City Council who had called upon him to gather information across the network about past TPO enforcement cases. Al hopes to widen the network out, speaking to Housing Associations about creating a tree officers group for them. Having had a number of housing associations in attendance at the Tree Law conferences in 2023 and 2024, I know that this would be of interest to those that Ive spoken to in this sector.
Jane Crowther and Andy McPhaden of Leeds City Council – took us on their A.I journey and shared with us how they are using AI to survey trees and deal with ash dieback. With 200,000 trees across highways and estates, this really highlighted how AI could help with this enormous job.
Sarah Kiss of Hampshire County Council – Sarah spoke about the VETCERT qualification to become a certified veteran tree specialist. This was really interesting to hear as I see veteran trees involved in cases such as tree root subsidence and I am aware of the hard work that the likes of the Woodland Trust are doing to try and get additional protections in place for our old trees. Sarah mentioned seeing ‘features’ of veteran trees rather than ‘defects’ and showed us some amazing photographs, including one from TR33 showing how trees can survive in the most unusual states as they age. Sarah’s message loud and clear was that veteran trees should only be touched if they are dangerous or are a risk of harm to human life or property which cannot be mitigated in any other way.
Matthew Mash of Central Bedfordshire Council – Matthew spoke about their replanting schemes and the issues which arise when trying to replant in and around a city. A big issue seemed to be the presence of underground utilities and the fact that utility maps are notoriously inaccurate meaning that an area might seem clear of utilities and suitable for planning, only for utilities to be found when scanned and planting having to be abandoned. An interesting point made related to the size of trees being planted. Matthew said that he is a fan of taller trees and said that a benefit of them can be that they require less regular pruning than smaller trees which can be obstructive to pedestrians and traffic.
Andy Tipping of London Borough of Barnet – Andy spoke about the National Tree Safety Group and the new guidance which has been released this year by the group. This was a hugely interesting topic as I get a lot of clients contacting me with concerns over the safety of trees. Andy mentioned a risk stat of 1 in 15 million people in the UK getting killed by a falling tree per year. That figure having improved from a 1 in 10 million figure back in 2011. Andy gave a great summary of the law behind tree failure cases and how there is an element of being comfortable with an element of risk. He commented that, for example, 30% of the street trees in Barnet have ‘defects’. Andy referenced the ALARP risk triangle and how red/intolerable risks should be actioned, down to green, broadly acceptable risks which should be left alone and reviewed.
Thomas Kane of Cork City Council – This was very interesting to hear Thomas speaking about trees and how the management of them differs in Ireland. He started off his talk referring to Cork only having 12 TPOs and with no tree inventory at all. Their regime of tree management is entirely reactive and with characteristically negative community engagement. Interesting to hear the targets that they are striving towards given that Ireland is in the EU. They are part of the 3BillionTrees target.
Michael Johnson Tree Officer, Islington – Michael gave a very emotional talk about the benefit of trees in school. He talked about the mental health benefits of trees being within schools where they provide a place for the children to play, learn, relax and live in nature. There was discussion in the next session about guided tree walks and Michael mentioned in the Q&A session that going in to schools and engaging with kids has a huge benefit of them being a large captive audience who you are able to inspire and he truly encouraged all listening to get involved and to speak with kids.
Greg Packman – Arboricultural officer of the Royal Parks – Greg was talking about the tree walks that he has set up. These sounds so interesting. They are free-of-charge and hosted by him. Involving walking through areas and visiting the trees with him imparting knowledge about trees to those on the walk. This has helped community engagement on issues such as necessary tree removal and replanting and has helped get residents on-side in certain situations. No tree knowledge is needed but he said that people quickly become confident about trees as they pick up more information.
Dave Baldwin & Dr Rosie Rowe, Oxfordshire Council – Talking about the vital role of the area tree officer. The climate crisis was the backdrop of this talk and was a very passionate account of what they are doing to manage trees in a changing climate. Dr Rowe made a very interesting comment about the councillors in Oxfordshire having accepted that doing nothing in response to nuisance caused by (significant) trees is an option where there is an alternative method available of abating a nuisance.
Dr Jen Clements – Forest Research – Jen spoke about Sooty Bark disease. I have to admit this is a disease that I had not heard of so I was interested to learn more. It’s a disease which appears as dark bark on the tree. Common after a hot summer the year before. The issue with this disease being that it can pose a risk to human health if inhaled. Common in mature trees, in particular Sycamore and Maple trees. Caused by a fungus which can lead to respiratory illness. This means caution needs to be taken when working on infected trees to limit the risk. Also timber needs to be disposed of in a controlled manner, therefore requiring measured disposal.
Molly Davidson & Dr Caroline Gorton of Forest Research – both speaking on tree disease and citizen science being called upon to report sightings of tree disease and infections on the TreeAlert! App. A lot of discussion was had around the Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) and how that is also a primary risk in public health.
To close the day Lee Marshall, Senior Tree Officer of West Devon Borough Council gave a very honest and heart felt talk about managing mental health. He spoke about personal struggles and encouraged anyone listening who might have similar struggles to connect with colleagues and those in the supportive tree officer network. It was a heart felt end to a day of heart felt and informative talks.
