[4.4] Strategic Tree Works Programme Developing a tree inventory will facilitate a strategically planned annual Tree Care Works Programme. A strategic Works Programme is beneficial for human safety, for trees, and for overall effectiveness. For people, trees that may pose greater hazards to public health can be addressed as a priority. For trees, the early identification of defects/issues can also prevent a situation in which a tree would require removal. This reduces cost, visual impacts from tree loss, and loss of canopy cover. The public can also log requests for Cork City Council to carry out works to Cork City Council trees through the City Council Customer Service Request System. Any requests for tree works will be assessed and in accordance with policies set out in the City Council Public Tree Care Management Standards.
INTERNAL POLICY 2: Cork City Council tree work will be prioritised and carried out according to identified hazard or risk, as established in the Cork City Council Public Tree Care Management Standards.
ACTION 4. Establish a strategic Annual Tree Works Programme, based on a ‘Work Priority’ and coded re-inspection system.
Cork City Council will establish a targeted Strategic Annual Tree Planning Tree Planting Programme that sets out all tree planting that is planned for the coming year, to ensure that tree planting is as efficient and beneficial as possible.
ACTION 5. Establish a programme of targeted Strategic Annual Tree Planting.
Increased tree planting, scheduling of works and ongoing general maintenance will inevitably lead to an increased workload in respect to tree management that will need to be taken into account in budgets and staff resources.
ACTION 6 . Incorporate the impacts of increased public tree planting into maintenance budgets.
ACTION 7. Continue up-skilling Cork City Council arboricultural staff, including in tree inspections and tree work specifications.
[4.5] Tree Risk Management It is both normal and natural for trees to lose branches or to fall, and Cork City Council has a duty of care to ensure that members of the public and staff are not put at risk due to any failure to take reasonable precautions to ensure safety. However, it is important to remember that the actual risk to human safety from trees is very low. In fact, one UK study concluded that the risk of death caused by a tree was around 1 in 10 million. For context, the same study estimated the risk of death from road traffic accidents at 1 in 16,800. [10] Non-fatal injuries from trees were also found to be low. In the study, trees accounted for 55 Accident & Emergency cases per year. Wheelie bins posed more of a risk, accounting for 2,200 A & E cases.
[ Public Tree Management ]
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