Cold Habour School, Milton Keynes Works…
During the storms in the Summer time, a tree in the forest at Cold Harbour school, Milton Keynes split into two parts, leaving a significant branch held up in the canopy of another tree. This actually presented a very dangerous situation and, rightly so, the school decided to close the forest area and call a professional to help with the situation. We were one of the companies that they contacted.
After attending the school grounds and meeting with Mick the Caretaker, it was clear the job was not straight forward. When big branches become ‘hung up’ as we say, they become unpredictable. Sometimes the entire weight of the branch can be supported into one area on the tree it is rested on. Cutting the branch from where it split means it will fall and wipe out more trees below, as well as potentially twist, roll and slide in unusual directions. To carry out the works safely required a professional tree company with specialist equipment and tools. Thankfully, we could assist!
We were made aware of the importance of the Forest School and we were pleased to see a wooded area being used to make dens, shelters, camps and seating areas. With this in mind, we booked the work in as quickly as we could.
MEWP Delivery Milton Keynes for Tree Surgery Operations…
We arrived on Saturday October 24th in the morning to carry out the works. We brought with us our specialist cherry picker / Mobile Elevated Work Platform, AKA – MEWP. We use our MEWP on as many tree and hedge jobs as we can, as it provides a safe, efficient and effective working solution. It can go as narrow as 80cm to fit through garden gates or narrow alleyways and can reach high up into the canopy of trees – 17 meters (55 feet in old money) to be precise!
The tree in question was a fairly mature Common Ash (its latin name sounds like a Harry Potter spell - Fraxinus excelsior!) Around 15 meters high and about 50cm in diameter at the base.
Once we manoeuvred the MEWP into position we were ready to install a rigging rope from the branch to its parent tree which provides us with a degree of insurance should the branch decide to start moving. After this we started cutting back all the branches that were not being support by another tree. By doing this we take as much weight out of the hung up branch as possible. This is a tricky procedure as sometimes branches look as though they aren’t doing anything, but can actually be supporting some of the weight of the split branch. Our MEWP can easily go over the fallen branch and safely cut away material without having to put our bodyweight onto the leaning branch.
Spider Platform / MEWP preforming Tree Surgery works in Milton Keynes
As soon as we were satisfied that as much weight had been removed we were able to then cut away the remaining main stem and more accurately predict its movements once we had felled it. It rolled off of the tree it was stuck in and landed on the ground with a deep thud.
Due to the split on the tree and the fact that the Forest School area is used a lot it was advised that the remaining tree be removed to avoid decay setting into the split wound then eventually killing the tree off in an unpredictable way. We used our MEWP to dismantle the canopy in small chunks – letting it free fall to the ground. The main trunk was reduced to around 5-6 meters high and then left to remain as what we call a Monolith. Monoliths provide habitat for birds, insects and fungi. They can remain upright for years, and once they become rotten they can be felled easily from the ground with little fuss.
Whilst I was high in the canopy dismantling the Ash tree, Sheree, our groundslady, was busy moving branches and stacking them into neat piles off of the pathways. Ready to be used for making more shelters, camps and seating areas. Sheree has one of the most important jobs – as keeping the area clear of debris and logs makes for a safe work environment.
Once the work was completed, the MEWP and chainsaws were packed away and the area was left tidy and ready for the Forest School to be reopened and enjoyed by the children and staff.
Ash Tree Reduction using a MEWP / Spider Platform in Milton Keynes
Tree Surgery is a dangerous profession, but it provides a great deal of satisfaction when you are able to safely resolve problems. If you are thinking of carrying out work on your own trees of hedges always bear in mind if you are competent and fit enough to undertake the works. Bear in mind the amount of waste that will be produced and if you are able to process and remove it effectively. Chainsaws are dangerous tools and should be used with extreme caution and care. If you have any doubts – do not undertake the work and call a qualified and experienced tree surgery professional.
Browns Landscape Solutions are NPTC qualified to use chainsaws, process and fell trees and preform aerial tree operations using a rope and harness. We hold IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) membership to show we are competent to use MEWPs and we hold full public liability insurance and waste carriers licence.
If you would like to learn more about our tree work that we carry out, our website can be found at www.brownstreesurgery.com . Or you can contact us directly on 07789 550983.
We greatly enjoyed working at Cold Harbour School, Milton Keynes and we hope to be able to assist with any other projects that may be required.
Hope to see you soon!
Daniel Brown
Browns Landscape Solutions LTD
