More Trees for Felling?
Aug 30th, 2009 by David
Not on the Go Ape course, but on the drive leading up to the Top Barn, where several of the big old beech trees that line the road have been marked with pink spots. From previous experience, any tree marked with a fluorescent spot is due for felling – but these are mature trees with no sign of disease.
Maybe neville.kidd@uuplc.co.uk can put some light on it.
I have emailed Neville and will let everyone know when he replies.
A dissappointing (non)reply from Neville Kidd.
Dear David
Could I ask you to please put this and any further requests for information on Lever park, in a hard copy letter, addressed to my office as below. We can then keep these on record and respond accordingly. Many thanks for your assistance in this matter.
Many thanks
Neville Kidd
United Utilities ( Water)
Environment and Community
Central Catchment Manager
Rivington Wtw
Bolton Rd
Horwich
Lancs BL6 7RN
HARD COPY! now let me think, where have I heard that phrase before.
GOT IT! it was in an email from Martin Padley.
Hard copy is fine, but it usually takes forever and ever for something to happen.
What’s wrong with email in the 21st century, it’s easy and quick.
What ever reason they have for not using email, it isn’t very co-operative.
Will they accept a message the tried and trusted way?
A bow and arrow, but you must remember to duck.
No! forget that, we’re in the 21st Century health and safety and all that.
HARD COPY !! All you have to do is hit the button and the printer bursts into life and prints out a HARD COPY. Oh! sorry, they may not have a printer or find it hard the budget for a supply of paper for the printer !!!
Take nothing away from Mr Padley, he has his staff well trained. Of course they are requesting ‘hard copy’ communication. Let’s assume hypothetically, that you wanted to build up a dosier on someone, or some organisation, with the aim of possible future litigation, ( should anything at all be written that is untrue or libellous) then you would need ‘real paper’ and a signature. Isn’t that right ? Or is the paranoia of this whole charade getting the better of me.
What worries me is the lack of accountability in Rivington and Lever Park.
United Utilites and Chorley run the place like it’s their own private kingdom. The public groups that are supposed to have oversight are toothless. It’s impossible to get hold of agendas or minutes of meetings.
While UU hide behind a ‘put it in writing’ response, Chorley ride roughshod over their own policies to keep the public out of the decision-making loop.
the beeches are marked because they have bleeding canker at he bases which IS an obvious sign of desease. they need treating or they are doomed. a couple have already died.
That’s interesting Sylvesta.
Then answer this, why have Go-Ape used a tree that is suffering from bleeding canker.
or does this desease only count when it’s convenient?
how would i know that? maybe it wasnt effected when they put the course up? maybe theyre fools?
i was just answering the original question. the desease spreads so surely its important to keep an eye on which ones have it. convenient? people park their cars under the beeches on that avenue.
I have heard similar reports about the trees suffering from bleeding canker. If true, UU must do whatever necessary to prevent the spread of the disease. If experts agree that felling is the only way to stop it spreading, I would support UU all the way.
But why can’t they just tell us? Why ask for everything to be in writing? What kind of jobsworths are we dealing with?
The UU staff we bump into on the park are a really friendly bunch of people, committed to the park and its visitors. So why are the middle-managers so small-minded?
The tree in question was infected with bleeding canker before the course was put up, but it was numbered ready for the development.
They have no excuses, it suited there purpose to ignore bleeding canker on this occasion.