Perhaps they could pay increased premiums instead of increasing felling? There must be a balance, but it appears to have shifted recently.

I wonder how much money the council has had to pay out for claims against them because of trees falling on people?

I agree it is awful that the city council’s Arboricultural Strategy is not available from the council’s website. It ought be linked from the council’s policies page, the tree team’s pages and other locations eg. the Local Nature Reserves pages.

It is possible that the current, as amended, Arboricultural Strategy does not actually exist as a document which has been kept up to date. The policy was adopted in 2000, which pre-dates the council’s online system for publicising committee papers. What is available is a report produced prior to a planned review of the policy in 2004.

When it was reviewed in 2004 the council decided to ask officers to research the possibility of a “Risk Management Strategy for Trees”. At a Community Services Committee meeting I observed just last month this was still being called for by Conservative Councillor Chris Howell. The 2000 policy was titled “2000-2007″, I can find no evidence of a review, or new policy adopted in 2007. The Arboricultural Strategy is not mentioned on the council’s forward plan which it ought be if they were planning on updating it.

Following the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act almost all council documents are public documents which can be obtained by submitting a request for them. Using the website whatdotheyknow.com which will make any response public automatically I have asked for a copy of the Arboricultural Strategy.

I’m just an independent individual trying to encourage the council to make its decisions in an open, transparent and democratic fashion. I have no particular insight as to what the councillors (Liberal Democrat, Labour, Labour and Co-operative, Conservative, Independent and Green) know or don’t know!

A national government report in 2008 stated that “… A comprehensive tree strategy is the starting point for a modern, planned approach to tree management. That tree strategy must also be integrated and embedded into the LA’s Local Plan and other relevant policies.”

[Source: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/treesintownsii.pdf "Trees in Towns II, A new survey of urban trees in England and their condition and management, Chris Britt & Mark Johnston, Department for Communities and Local Government, Feb 2008.]

I would be interested to know whether the elected council members - Liberal Democrat and Labour - are aware of this government advice and guidance?

Thanks.