This is a mature Eucalyptus Cider Gum tree (T15 on the sketch plan) situated within the primary school grounds immediately adjacent to the…

Official description

This is a mature Eucalyptus Cider Gum tree (T15 on the sketch plan) situated within the primary school grounds immediately adjacent to the main play area and close to school buildings. Due to its size, the crown now extends over parts of the school buildings, with branches encroaching on the roof and guttering, which causes regular accumulation of leaves, bark and other debris, leading to blocked gutters, increased maintenance requirements and the potential for water overflow and damage to the building. The tree is also heavily used by and adjacent to the areas occupied daily by young children. While the tree appears to be in generally good health, the school wants to adopt a proactive management approach by reducing the end weight on principal limbs and maintaining the tree at an appropriate size for its location. This will help reduce loading onto the larger scaffold branches, improve clearance from the buildings, lessen the amount of debris falling into the play area and gutters, and assist with the long-term retention of the tree. The proposed works include a 25% crown reduction carried out in accordance with BS3998, plus removing branches overhanging the school buildings, providing a minimum of 2-3 metres clearance from roofs and gutters, and removing deadwood greater than 25mm diameter.