Visual tree assessments have been completed across the city council’s school sites within their Northern and Southern regions comprising 80 sites and 5,500 trees.
Under the Occupiers Liability Act 1984 anyone with responsibility for land or trees is required to put in place procedures to identify and manage risk. A planned inspection programme must be established to ensure trees are inspected on a regular basis and any potential defects or hazards are identified and managed.
The city council received an interactive map linked to GIS which provided a comprehensive, visual representation of their tree stock and individual tree data including:
This approach enabled the local authority to fulfil their obligations under the act whilst allowing informed decisions to be made on their tree assets and planned maintenance.