Trees and the Built EnvironmentTo each individual, a tree means something different.
- To the householder, the tree in their garden is an object of beauty. It is not too big, it gives just enough shade to enjoy a picnic under in the summer and is a fantastic habitat to any number of species.
- To their neighbour, the tree is a blight. It blocks the sun, sheds leaves into the gutter, has the potential to drop limbs into the garden, allows roosting birds to mess the parking area and the roots cause subsidence in the house.
- To the house seller, the tree has been around for longer than the house and adds value.
- To the buyer, the tree is a future management costs and the price should be adjusted to reflect this.
- To the developer, the tree (in the right location) gives instant longevity to the site, but in the wrong place, it means less development potential.
- The tree to a local community is something that has been there for so long, it enhances the area.
All of these conflicting views must be taken into account when managing the relationship between trees and the built environment.
At Tree Frontiers, we can help in managing that relationship by ensuring the we remain impartial and independent of thought.
We can assist by providing guidance on how to maintain trees for the enhancement of the community, on whether the tree is the cause of subsidence, on how to manage the tree so that sunlight can flow through to the neighbouring garden, on what levels of future management a tree might require that could affect the price of a house, or how to make a development fit around a tree. If there is to be an equilibrium between trees and the built environment it must be managed without emotion, and with knowledge. It is our belief at Tree Frontiers that we must enhance the present to ensure the future.