1.4 Landscape Site Analysis

Tree Survey

In order to understand the existing condition of the trees, a tree survey has been carried out by a qualified arboriculturalist, Caledon Tree Surveys, in June 2022.

170 individual trees were surveyed along with minor groups of trees and hedges. The dominant species of tree on the site are Pendunculate Oak, representing over 50% of the total number of trees. Many of these are high quality and occasionally exceptional specimen trees.

Oak together with Lime, Sycamore and Beech represent over 90% of the tree species. A small handful of Ash trees are suffering symptoms of Chalara Ash Dieback.

The grading of the trees reflects the various landscape, cultural, historic and ecological values appropriate to the site. As a result, many specimens featuring significant structural defects are graded as Retention Category A or B, despite the limitations to their safe / useful life expectancy.

Overall the condition of the tree canopies strongly reflects the exposed location and the lack of formal management.

Whilst this has resulted in a fairly high incidence of defects in arboricultural terms, the ecological profile has been significantly enhanced by the presence of fractures, decay cavities, deadwoods and standing dead trees.

Ongoing management of the trees is essential to guarantee their longevity. A series of recommendations are made within the tree survey document to give the trees the best chance of survival as they age.

This includes interventions to make some trees safe, such as removing dead wood, so that people are not at risk once access to Ladyfield is improved.

The diagram adjacent is an extract from the tree survey’s categorisation analysis, showing which categories are afforded to the trees based on the British Standard.

KEY

Category A

Category B

Category C

Category U

See Appendix 7.7

Category A

Trees of high quality with an estimated remaining life expectancy of at least 40 years.

Category B

Trees of moderate quality with an estimated remaining life expectancy of at least 20 years.

Category C

Trees of low quality with an estimated remaining life expectancy of at least 10 years, or young trees with a stem diameter below 150 mm

Category U

Those in such a condition that they cannot realistically be retained as living trees in the context of the current land use for longer than 10 years. There is only one Cat U