Sick of sycamore.

[mothhawk]

Maybe the tree will get sooty bark disease (there's been a lot in London these past few years apparently).

Sadly there is no cure, and even sadder, it kills the tree.

And I believe you are required to remove the tree to prevent spread of the disease.

Apparently tree surgeons can get covered in sooty spores while removing infected trees.

(Know any London tree surgeons?)

[Bill HH]

It is an appealing thought to get you to send me a bit of sooty bark but I am not that irresponsible. there are some lovely sycamores around here (In the right place) and I wouldn't want to harm them.

[Bill HH]

Well I applied for permission to reduce the crown by 30% (the maximum allowed) and to remove some lower branches. I said that several neighbours had complained to me, that lorries had hit the tree branches and that the garden wall was starting to crack, I also threw in the fact that nothing will grow near it.
I had my reply today.

Permission is refused but with alternatives.

Firstly there is no right to light under English law.

However they will allow a crown reduction of 5metres all over the tree and the removal of 3 low branches.

My initial reaction is that 5 metres is about what I would have done anyway and there are only three low branches so I appear to have got what I wanted even though they refused me!

I am not sure how they will know I have removed 5 metres instead of 6 metres because as they say "once its gone its gone".

Now I shall wait until the leaves have dropped which will also give us time to raise the money, does anyone know how much it will cost to remove 5 metres off a tree all over? I used to do tree work for people free of charge as long as I kept the logs but I think maybe that idea no longer holds water.

[Bren In Pots]

Bill thats does sound like good news and btw Mr Pots says go to a forum called 'Arbtalk' and ask on there if any ones local to you.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I contacted Nottm City council earlier this year about a tree in next doors garden, their property. The house was empty at the time, the tree was within a metre of my boundary, encroaching and causing damage. I heard nothing despite leaving many message's on the patch managers answer phone, I then wrote to her line manager complete with a picture explaining the problem and again heard nothing not even the courtesy of a reply.

Finally getting more than a little miffed after all I pay their wages, I wrote to my councillor copying the letter to the line manager including another picture. In my letter I explained that now they had been notified in writing they would bear total responsibility for any damaged caused to mine or anyone else's property and should anyone be harmed in anyway they again would have to take full responsibility. I even told them a porky by saying I had lodged a copy of the correspondence with my solicitor.

Three working days later I came home at lunch time and it had gone, not trimmed, not pruned, gone. It would seem the council do not like the word 'responsibility' one little bit.