Broughton Estate in Oxfordshire covers an area of approx. 700 Ha and can best be described as quintessential English countryside, typical of the many clients we work with. It is made up of mixed farmland with scattered rural properties and is intersected by a network of highways and public rights of way, many of which receive high to moderate frequency of use by the public.
Our tree safety survey, undertaken in Sept 2020 covered all major highways, public rights of way, estate owned property and third-party ownership boundaries. The survey was completed over five intensive days of surveying and undertaken by our LANTRA certified tree inspectors using a non-invasive VTA (visual tree assessment) methodology. All trees within falling distance of known target areas were inspected at ground level. The final report produced a list of trees with observable tree hazards and outlined recommended remedial works as mitigation.
To assist the owner in attending to the trees of most concern, the recommended works were given a priority status, either high, moderate, or low. This status corresponded to a length of time it is recommended that the work prescribed should be undertaken.
This type of tree survey followed up by the completion of remedial works, allows an owner to discharge their duty of care to the wider public regarding tree safety, something which has come to the fore front in recent years with many incidents involving trees and people.