It was in the Autumn edition, on pages 38-39 and is a snapshot of what we do.
“If there’s ever a job advert for someone to look after a war zone, then William Warden has to be the man for the job. Who else has a CV that takes in looking after the battlegrounds of Salisbury Plain, surrounded by tanks, troops and helicopters to say nothing of fast jets plying their trade? And if the mulcher stops dead in its tracks, then the culprit is probably an old shell or maybe a piece of tank track”… Read the article here
Under our Approved Contractor status with both the Arboricultural Association and the Contractors Health & Safety Scheme (CHAS), our ongoing training never stops.
Well done to Steve for passing his trailer test; he is now allowed to tow a trailer over 750kg behind any vehicle.
Tom also underwent a tree rigging update where he had to evaluate the tree for hazards as well as performing an assessment of working at height. He had to identify the correct selection of rigging equipment to be used and then make the safe removal of tree sections using suitable rigging and appropriate cuts So, dismantling the tree using rope and harness and lowering the tree limbs, rather than just letting the branches fall to the ground. Quite a skill
Matt has just passed his chainsaw from a rope and harness qualification. This enables him to dismantle trees while accessing them from a rope.
In late September the whole company was assessed by Guy Watson from The Arboricultural Association for our Approved Contractor Status; with only 4 small points to clarify we deemed this to be a great success, well done to everyone, fingernails coming back slowly! All of our accreditations are explained fully here
Conservation Contractors – here for your safety and peace of mind.
First Aid: Last week all staff at Conservation Contractors had First Aid training. We are now all qualified for another 3 years .. a bit of fun with some of the of role-playing. The course delivered by ABC Response includes the updated training on the latest first aid practices and allows us to work on Forestry Commission sites.
We erected 4000m post and rail fencing to protect many individual protected trees with a TPO (Tree Preservation Order), including some wonderful old Limes and Beech trees in September. This took us about 5 weeks but was a very satisfying job to have completed.
At Conversation Contractors, we work with our clients to submit applications for any tree work governed by TPOs to the appropriate planning authority.
4000 Post and Rail Fencing for the MoD, near Heytestubry, Warminsterpost and rail for the MoD in HeytestubryTPO trees safeguarded with 4000m post and rail fencingTPO trees including some wonderful old limes and beech trees protected with post and rail fencingPost and rail fencing protecting TPO trees for MoD in HeytesburyPost and rail fencing protecting TPO trees in Warminster
Tree Preservation Orders
This is an extract from The Arboricultural Association of which we are members:
“TPOs are administered by Local Planning Authorities (LPA) (e.g. a borough, district or unitary council or a national park authority) and are made to protect trees that bring significant amenity benefit to the local area. This protection is particularly important where trees are under threat.
All types of tree, but not hedges, bushes or shrubs, can be protected, and a TPO can protect anything from a single tree to all trees within a defined area or woodland. Any species can be protected, but no species is automatically protected by a Tree Preservation Order.
A TPO is a written order which, in general, makes it a criminal offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot, wilfully damage or wilfully destroy a tree protected by that order, or to cause or permit such actions, without the authority’s permission. Anyone found guilty of such an offence is liable. In serious cases, the case may be dealt with in the Crown Court where an unlimited fine can be imposed”. For full details please see the ARB website link here
The picture shows the final stretch of tree clearance over a tributary to the River Avon undertaken in October. Our task was to clear about a one mile stretch of the trees that were obstructing the waterway. It was wet underfoot and wetter outside, but it was a good job done and the waterway is now clear of vegetation for the next 20 years. See also our post on willow pollarding, as part of the same project.
Patney is in the Vale of Pewsey about 4.5 miles south-east of Devizes.
See our brief video showing the removal of self-set Alder trees
Close Board Fencing is renowned for its strength and versatility, without sacrificing its appearance. Also referred to as Featheredge or Featherboard, it is formed by vertical feather edge boards that each partially overlaps and fix to the rear horizontal supporting wooden rails.
Our challenge here was to dig out a 450mm conifer hedge together with the ground stumps. We then erected 1.8m ( 6)’ of close board fencing at a domestic client’s home. Looks good, what do you think?
We sprayed and cultivated amongst the panels on an 80ac Solar Farm, near Westbury, Wiltshire
We planted a native mix of thorn, hazel, dog rose, holly, hawthorn and blackthorn hedging. When this is complete, we’re then sowing wildflower seed and then maintaining for five years. The wildflowers will grow to create new meadows.
It was a busy time for our Fencing Division on downland in Rockley, near Marlborough, post driving to erect 2000m stock fencing. A bit hairy at times but a good job was done; this now brings the total for the year so far to over 30,000m
Dismantling acacia trees in Devizes was our task for today. We dismantled two decaying 24m high Acacia trees in the London Road, Devizes… There was a lot of rot in the trees and they had become unsafe.
We erected 1000 metres of post and rail with gates and electric for the international 3-day eventer, David Doel, International Event Rider, of Reybridge Eventing at Lacock.
This will give increased turn-out for extra horses, and the fence has an electric wire on the top of an internal fence to prevent the horses pushing up against it.
