Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, TF5 0LF 07747017979

Tree Condition Inspection

Land at The Toll House 69, Mytton Road Shrewsbury SY3 8UQ

For

Lorraine Millard

Terry Merchant Chartered Forester M.Arbor.A [email protected]

Inspection date 18.3.2021

1 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979 1.0 Remit: • Inspect the mature Oak in the garden of 69 Mytton Oak Road • Compile a condition report and remedial work proposed where required.

2.0 Report limitations: The tree condition conclusion and recommendations in this report are valid for a period of one year, or a lesser period when indicated in the report. All trees are susceptible to exceptional weather events or deterioration resulting from other environmental changes in close proximity to the tree. The evaluation is based upon Visual Tree Assessment (Mattheck & Breloer 2001). Observations have been made from ground level with the aid of binoculars.

2.1 Statutory Obligations: Bats and the Law (Woodland Management for Bats 2005) ‘The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to disturb, damage or destroy bats or their roosts. The Act applies in both & and requires consultation with the appropriate SNCO before carrying out activities which might harm or disturb bats or their roosts. The Act is amended by the CROW Act 2000. This adds recklessness to the offence of damaging or destroying a place a bat uses for shelter, or disturbing a bat while using a roost. The Conservation (Natural Habitats Regulations 1994) implements the European Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora 1992; EPS amendment Aug 2007, Oct 2010. Under the latest regulations, damaging or destroying a breeding site or resting place of a European Protected Species is an absolute offence, regardless of whether the act of doing so may be regarded as reckless, deliberate or accidental. Wild Birds (Mynors 2002) The Primary legislation affecting wild birds in England, Scotland and Wales is the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). In January 2001 the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) included amendments, which strengthened the law in England and Wales. The basic principle of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) is that all wild birds, their nests and eggs, are protected by law and some rare species are afforded special protection. There are certain exemptions to this notably in respect of wildfowl, game birds and various species that may cause damage. (Cowan 2002) Felling licence: Subject to tree size, location, condition and other Statutory protection, or prior planning approval, not more than 5m3 of timber can be felled in any Calendar quarter without first obtaining a Forestry Commission (FC) felling licence. Failure to obtain a licence where required is a prosecutable offence. Detailed information including exemptions can be found on the FC web site Conservation Area and Tree Protection Orders: The Local Authority protects trees within the district by the use of and administration of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). Trees can also be protected if they are within a Conservation Area. TPOs are used to protect trees (including areas of woodland) where their removal would have a significant impact on the local environment and it's enjoyment by the public. TPOs prohibit the cutting down, uprooting, wilful damage or destruction of trees. Any works to a tree(s) protected by a TPO or falling within a Conservation Area first requires the consent of the Local Authority. It is a prosecutable offence to carry out work to a tree protected by a TPO, or remove it, without the prior consent of the Local Authority. Detailed information including exemptions can be found on the Local Authority web site

2 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979 2.2 Monitoring history: No record of systematic monitoring. The latest crown reduction was completed to BS3998(2010) standard in 2016

2.3 Site Characteristics: Moderately free-draining soil. The tree is growing on slightly raised ground adjacent to Mytton Oak Road. The replaced subsoil in a recent excavation of a nearby services trench in Crowmeole Lane is silty-clay with a crumbly texture with evidence of wet-soil smearing and some surface drying cracks. No record of soil plasticity index information available for the property at No.69. BGS My Soil: ‘Depth: Deep; Texture: Loam to Clayey Loam; Parent material: Glacial Till’ Refer to page 7 for the rooting zone of influence on shrinkable clay soils

2.4 Location & Statutory Protection: The garden of 69 Mytton Oak Road Postcode. SY3 8UQ NGR. SJ46871241 Protection provided by Council TPO

2.5 Tree Characteristics:

Species Common Oak Quercus robur L (The branch habit has the characteristic upswept form of Sessile oak) Current Top Height 18.5m Diameter at 1.5m 70cm Crown spread North 8m; East 8m; South 8m; West 6m Crown clearance >4m Growth stage: Mature (Age estimated at 80years)

Root: No evidence of soil movement Stem: No evidence of perennial fungi fruiting bodies. No evidence of bark bleeding. Large crown-lift wounds have occluded. Crown: Latest crown reduction was completed in 2016 to BS3998(2010) recommendations standard for tree work. No evidence of recent breakouts of live wood or dieback. Minor deadwood north and east side mid-crown. Epicormic sprouts on 2nd and 3rd order limbs throughout the crown.

2.6 Evaluation of Tree Vitality: Adequate annual shoot extension, density and bud size is indicative of the tree maintaining vitality in current growing conditions.

2.7 Hazard Assessment i.e. The Foreseeability of failure (An assessment of the potential for structural failure and the target at risk)

2.8 Conclusion: No significant risk features observed at date of inspection.

The tree’s crown spread occupies a significant proportion of the Building footprint and garden and will continue to cause issues of proximity nuisance.

The tree will require repeat crown reduction at 5yearly intervals to contain the radial spread.

3 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979

2.9 Recommendation:

A branch end reduction on the north, east and south sides from 8m to 6.5m = 1.5m (20%) A branch end reduction on the west side from 6m to 5m = 1.2m (20%) The internal crown is well-furnished with 3rd order branches enabling the proposed reduction to be completed using the drop-crotch method of natural target pruning to BS3998(2010) without inflicting pruning wound sites >75mm diameter.

3.0 Tree location image

T1

4 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979 Photo detail:

T1: The internal crown is well-furnished with 3rd order branches enabling the proposed reduction to be completed using the drop-crotch method of natural target pruning to BS3998(2010) without inflicting pruning wound sites >75mm diameter.

T1: indicative pruning position for 20% end reduction viewed from south

5 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979

T1: indicative pruning position for 20% end reduction viewed from east

T1: indicative pruning position for 20% end reduction viewed from north

6 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979

Rooting zone of influence: • Age of Toll House c1820 (information supplied by owner) • Estimated age of tree is 80 years • Test data on clay soil not available • All of the buildings on the property fall within the potential zone of influence for T1 Oak on a plastic clay, if present. • No evidence of recent excessive soil movement present on the external and internal east and north facing elevations of the 2storey Toll House or single storey extension at date of inspection

East facing elevation of single-story extension - No evidence of cracking in concrete render

East facing elevation of single-story extension - No evidence of cracking in concrete render at window corners

East facing elevation of single-story extension – Hairline crack in concrete render unlikely to be the result of foundation movement

7 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979

East facing elevation of single-story extension - No evidence of cracking in concrete render at door frame corners

East facing elevation of Toll House - No evidence of cracking in concrete render at window corners

8 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979

East facing elevation of Toll House - No evidence of cracking in concrete render at window corners

Internal north facing elevation of single- story extension - No evidence of cracking in plaster on door frame corners

9 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979

East facing elevation of single-story extension - No evidence of cracking in plaster on window corners or ceiling

North facing elevation of Tollhouse- No evidence of cracking in plaster

East facing elevation of Tollhouse- No evidence of cracking in plaster

10 Forester & Arborist Services Ltd, Company No.7037426 Registered Office: 19 Arrow Road, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LF 07747017979

References and main literature sources. A D Hirons & P Thomas (2018) Applied Tree Biology Wiley Blackwell Biddle P.G Tree Root Damage to Buildings (1998) Willowmead Publishing Ltd Evans D. www.validtreerisk.com Londsdale, D (2000). Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management (Research for Amenity Trees 7) HMSO, London Mattheck, C & Breloer, H (1995). The body language of trees: A handbook for failure analysis (Research for Amenity Trees 4) HMSO, London Schwarze, Engels & Mattheck (2000) Fungal strategies of wood decay in trees Springer Shigo, A (1991) Modern Arboriculture Durham, USA, Shigo and Trees Associates Strouts, R.G & Winter T.G. (1994) Diagnosis of ill-health in trees (Research for Amenity Trees 2) HMSO, London

Terry Merchant Chartered Forester M.Arbor.A [email protected] 07747 017979 Report date: 19.3.2021

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