This Sycamore tree had previously been crown reduced by another tree surgeon and had in the following 2-4 years put on approximately 10ft of poorly attached regrowth.
As a result, there was a strong possibility of this new growth failing and failing on to buildings below. From the customer’s point of view, the tree was too big and needed to be maintained, but the prospect of paying to have the crown reduced every few years was a factor that needed to be taken into account. As a result, they were leaning towards removing the tree completely. However, they also wanted to consider the neighbours who were, understandably, unhappy about losing the tree. In the end, it was agreed that the tree should be reduced hard to form a pollard which could be maintained at a lower cost to the customer. The overall effect being a tree with a smaller crown.
Although introducing a pollard to a tree at this stage in its life span is not strictly best practice it is a good example of the compromises that can be made to best meet the customer’s needs.
The crown was carefully removed using rigging techniques to avoid damage to the Laurel plant and the two buildings below.
