Tree Cutting Method
Tree Cutting Method
Tree Cutting Method
Introduction
This document has been prepared in order to satisfy the requirements to enable the
discharge of Condition 3 of Conservation Area Consent Approval Ref: 10/03014/CA.
No demolition shall take place before a method statement has been submitted to and
approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. This method statement shall include
details of a timetable of works, method of demolition, protection, protection of boundary
walls, trees and retained structures and building, and removal of material from the site and
temporary restoration proposals. The demolition methods to be used shall ensure the
retention and protection of trees, shrubs, boundary walls and retained structures and
buildings on or adjacent to the site. The development shall only be implemented in
accordance with the approved method statement.
The development shall only be implemented in accordance with this Method Statement.
1.00
TIMETABLE OF WORKS
1.01
The client/contractor will give the council a minimum of one weeks notice
prior to commencement of demolition. The thorough preparation of the
site with regards the erection of protective fencing/hoarding and the
removal of undergrowth is likely to take a further week to complete.
1.02
2.00
METHOD OF DEMOLITION
2.01
2.02
2.03
Comment
Comment
2.04
As indicated on the drawing (hatched in light grey and with blue dashed
lines) structures/building which are to be demolished are as follows:
All glasshouse structures generally. These will be carefully
dismantled, utilizing appropriate tools, machines and vehicles, to
ensure minimal glass breakage. The timber/metal frames and
glass panels will be separated on site and carted away for
disposal or recycling where possible. The concrete bases shall be
broken up and crushed on site and utilised as a temporary road
surface for construction traffic or laid out and compacted where
appropriate to form the hardcore bases for the new buildings. Any
excess or unsuitable material will be carted away for disposal.
The brick structure in the middle of the site. This structure will be
carefully dismantled, utilizing appropriate tools, machines and
vehicles, with particular care taken when the burial ground
boundary walls and retained walkway are in close proximity. The
masonry elements shall be broken up and crushed on site and
utilised as a temporary road surface for construction traffic or laid
out and compacted where appropriate to form the hardcore bases
for the new buildings. Any excess or unsuitable material will be
carted away for disposal.
The water tanks (in dark green). These will be dismantled, carted
away from site, and scrapped for their recycling value. The tanks
are not in close proximity to trees as such, but the cutting gear
required to carry out these operations will nevertheless be
carefully selected so as to avoid the danger of unplanned fire.
3.00
3.01
3.02
Comment
3.03
Listed boundary walls which immediately surround the listed burial ground
and chapel will be protected with fencing and signed as being a site
exclusion zone as per the Arboricultural Method Statement. Access will
be limited to only those site personnel undertaking agreed conservation
and repair works to the tombs and walls.
3.04
The tiled walkway which currently links the brick building to the existing
chapel will be protected with fencing and signed as being a site
exclusion zone. Access will be limited to only those site personnel
undertaking agreed conservation and repair works (if retention agreed).
3.05
Existing retaining walls and the mono-pitched structure to the west of the
site will be signed as to be retained, and all site personnel will be inducted
as to the limits of their demolition works.
4.00
4.01
Demolition materials will be initially sorted and separated on site. This will
help to minimize the number of vehicular movements to and from the site.
4.02
4.03
Glass, metal and timber will be taken off site and recycled wherever
possible.
4.04
5.00
5.01
Comment
Comment
Prepare tree works schedule & plan identifying all tree works likely to be
required to allow site works to be undertaken.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Agree tree works schedule, tree protection plan, services plan, site
accommodation plan & this Method Statement with Leeds City Council.
Tree Work
6.
7.
Carry out tree work as per agreed tree works schedule prior to any other
work commencing on site (except where trees are to be removed in the
general site clearance area).
8.
9.
12.
13.
14.
Except on the south side of the existing access drive & Mansell
garage where the accumulated debris will be removed by hand prior to
the erection of the tree protection fencing in this area.
15.
Part of the tree protection includes existing walls which are not to be
demolished. These walls will be identified on site to the demolition
contractor by the Arboricultural Consultant prior to any demolition
commencing.
Bats
16.
Prior to demolition of the buildings & works to the former chapel, the
Arboricultural Consultant shall arrange for a final check for bat roosts to be
made the details of this survey to be agreed in advance with the Council
ecologist.
17.
If evidence of bats is found, the affected building(s) will be fenced off with 2
m high weld mesh fencing and pre-printed laminated waterproof signs at
least A4 in size to be securely fixed on the site side of the fence at
maximum 5 m intervals bearing the words :PROTECTED BAT ZONE
NO STORAGE OR OPERATIONS IN FENCED AREA
FENCE NOT TO BE MOVED OR TAKEN DOWN
.
18.
Birds
19.
Any demolition & site clearance work undertaken after the 1st February is
only to be undertaken after the relevant areas have been checked by the
Arboricultural Consultant for the presence of nesting birds.
20.
If nesting birds are found, the affected area will be fenced off with weld
mesh fencing as previously described & the fencing is to remain until the
end of the nesting season or the nest is abandoned & the fencing is only to
be removed on the written authority of the Arboricultural Consultant.
21.
.
22.
Similarly during the construction phase, any nests which are made in the
working area will be similarly protected as per 20 & 21 above.
24.
25.
Posts to be driven into ground to prevent easy of the movement taking care
to identify and avoid all existing services in the ground.
26.
27.
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The ground between the tree protection fencing & the southern wall of the
Mansell garage is to be protected by scaffold boards laid on the ground to
cover the entire width of the ground between the fence & the garage
(irrespective of whether the garage remains or is rebuilt). These boards to
be laid at the same time as the erection of the tree protection fencing.
28.
The tree protection fencing & ground boarding to be maintained for the
duration of the demolition and construction work.
29.
Mammals
30.
31.
To ensure that the fencing is effective the barrier across the access road will
be closed each night to ensure that the working site area is entirely
enclosed by fencing.
32.
The regular checks of the fencing will include checks for signs of
animal breaches. If any are seen or suspected, the Arboricultural Consultant
is to be informed who will visit the site to assess the situation & make
proposals for increasing the effectiveness of the fencing.
33.
Where the tree protection fencing crosses a regular badger track, eg. points
B on the Tree Protection Plan, a ground level opening will be provided to
allow continued badger access. Where practical, regular badger tracks
through the working site area will be within fenced corridors & where not
practical, excavations will be temporarily fenced against badger ingress and
the additional precaution of providing ramped exits to all excavations will be
taken. It is likely that the measures required will require alteration for the
various stages of the development & these will be agreed with the Council in
advance at the appropriate times.
34.
Prior to demolition & other site clearance work commencing on site, erect
fencing around the burial ground as per 15 to 19 above with the only
variation being the wording of the signs
LISTED BURIAL GROUND
NO STORAGE OR OPERATIONS IN FENCED AREA
FENCE NOT TO BE MOVED OR TAKEN DOWN
Access Road
36.
The access road runs through the root protection areas of various trees to
be retained & care must be exercised to protect the underlying roots.
37.
Using a machine fitted with a flat bucket ie. no tines, scrape off surface
debris only to expose underlying stone of the existing access road.
38.
39.
40.
If any widening is required within the root protection areas, the Arboricultural
Consultant will prepare a specification for a suitable no-dig, surface build
construction type & methodology for construction including all necessary
tree protection measures & this shall be agreed with the Council before any
widening is undertaken.
41.
The Arboricultural Consultant will identify the lengths of road within root
protection areas where excavation for kerbing is not allowable (A-A).
42.
The Arboricultural Consultant will agree with the architects appropriate nodig, surface installation kerbing for these areas & agree these with the
Council.
43.
44.
Passing Place
45.
Further site investigation is required before the final location of the passing
place(s) is determined; this investigation to be supervised on site by the
Arboricultural Consultant where within the root protection areas of adjacent
trees
46.
The passing place location(s) will be agreed with the Council after the
further site investigation is complete & before construction.
47.
The details of the bin collection point will be agreed at a later date with the
Council & & details of construction & methodology of construction including
tree protection measures will be provided in conjunction with the
Arboricultural Consultant in advance of construction of the bin collection
point.
The Mansell garage is at the edge of the Root Protection Areas of the
adjacent trees.
50.
The ground boarding between the tree protection fencing & the garage is to
be checked for its effectiveness by the Arboricultural Consultant prior to
garage renovation (or replacement) & is to be maintained until after the
garage works are completed.
Retaining Wall
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51.
As part of the garage works, any work to the length of the retaining wall
beyond the rear of the garage is to be assessed & discussed with the
Arboricultural Consultant.
52.
Prior to any work to the retaining wall being undertaken, the Arboricultural
Consultant will agree the methodology with the Council & issue further
instructions for the protection of the trees in this area.
53.
After the garage works & retaining wall works are completed, the
Arboricultural Consultant will issue instructions for the removal of the ground
boarding & movement of the tree protection fencing to end at the front
corner of the garage (rather than the rear)
House Construction
54.
Construct houses & carry out chapel annexe works as per planning
permission.
55.
Services
56.
All services to be laid outside the fenced tree protection areas as per
the agreed services plan. This services plan to be subject to a final check by
the Arboricultural Consultant prior to any work being undertaken.
Carry out landscape works outside the fenced tree protection areas as per
the agreed landscape plan.
58.
After all construction & associated landscape works are complete for any
plot or part of a plot, the Arboricultural Consultant will provide Leeds City
Council with one weeks written notification of the intent to remove tree
protection fencing with a plan indicating the location of the fencing to be
removed.
59.
60.
Marry in the edges of the previously fenced areas with the site areas
taking care to avoid excavation in the tree protection areas. This work
to be carried out by hand to avoid damage to the underlying tree roots.
61.
Carry out any remaining landscape works within the tree protection
areas as per the agreed landscape plan and in accordance with any
further methodology required by the Arboricultural Consultant who will
agree such with the Council in advance.
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No fires to be lit at any time during the period of any work on site.
63.
Tree protection fencing to remain in situ as per the agreed Tree Protection
Fencing Plan and not to be moved or removed except as specifically
outlined as previously in this Method Statement.
64.
65.
66.
67.
No storage of materials of any kind including stripped soil in the fenced tree
protection areas.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
Site management
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73.
The site agent is responsible for ensuring that this Method Statement is
complied with.
74.
If the site agent is absent from site, the agent will delegate responsibility to
the most appropriate person on site.
75.
76.
The tree protection areas are to be checked daily to ensure that there
has been no access to these areas.
77.
The checks are to be carried out by the most senior person on site on that
day and a record is to kept that such checks have been made.
78.
79.
All workers on the site are to be informed that all the trees on this site are
protected and that failure to comply with this Method Statement could result
in prosecution for tree damage or destruction with, on conviction, fines of up
to 20,000 per tree in the Magistrates Court with the potential of unlimited
fines if deemed sufficiently serious to refer to Crown Court.
81.
It is recognised that situations can arise during the build process which are
unforeseeable at the start which have the potential to impact on trees and
thus require changes to the Method Statement.
82.
Monitoring
83.
The Arboricultural Consultant shall make periodic visits to the site to monitor
compliance with this Method Statement & shall report any breaches to the
Council in writing within 24 hours together with an assessment of any
damage & measures to rectify.
Contacts
13
84.
85.
86.
Method Statement prepared by :David C Houldershaw BSc(For), FICFor, FArborA, CEnv, MAE, MBIAC
NORTHERN RESOURCE CONSULTANTS
22 Ethel Crescent
Knaresborough
North Yorkshire. HG5 ODJ
Tel :- 01423 868952
Email :- [email protected]
September 2011
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