Trees, trees, trees, what would The Park look like without its trees? I am Tasha, a newbie director of the Nottingham Park Estate. You may well have seen me whizzing around, usually in the sunshine, often in the middle of the road in my electric wheelchair avoiding leaves or fallen branches. If anybody could, should or would have difficulties with our trees, then surely that may be me?

At the last AGM, some residents shared their frustrations about tree maintenance, and I found myself relating to some of them.  My head filled with questions; Why can’t we trim the big trees? How do they decide which ones and when? And surely some are unsafe?

So, I set myself a challenge – my mission was to find out exactly what’s involved in the upkeep of the 650+ trees. I spent some time with our General Manager Adam, our Operations Manager Stacey and our Greens Committee in the hope of gaining a more comprehensive understanding of how we maintain our spectacular greenery.

Firstly, it’s important to know that our Greens Committee (made up of 4 directors) meet up quarterly and involves a detailed walk around the Estate with Adam and Stacey, one of the contractors from Mitie. Between meetings, Adam and Stacey meet with Mitie once a month and keep the Greens Committee informed of any urgent issues that arise.  Most of our street trees are subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). The orders are in place to help the aesthetic and ecological value of our area and ensure our trees are managed responsibly and not unnecessarily removed or damaged, this means permission from the Local Authority is required before carrying out any works to the trees. So now feeling at peace that our trees are protected and in good hands, it’s time for me to get back to my mission.

Through chats and research, I learnt that our tree maintenance is ongoing with work regularly carried out to ensure the health, safety, and beauty of our green spaces. This includes, routine pruning to remove deadwood, and those that may pose safety risks. It also involves thinning out a tree to reduce overcrowding of branches, which improves air circulation and light penetration. This type of pruning can also include shaping to improve the natural form of the tree, without altering its structural integrity – this is classed as level 2 pruning. It’s a non-invasive form of pruning that focuses on keeping the tree in good condition without removing too much biomass. As part of our tree management plan, we have regular assessments on the health of the trees and identify any that may need further care or intervention. More invasive pruning is sometimes required to help improve the trees shape and stability and on occasion, where necessary, large limbs may be removed to reduce weight on branches that may pose a risk to the trees structure – this is classed as level 3 pruning.

As my newfound knowledge was beginning to sink in, I realised that I still hadn’t quite got the answer to my big question. Why can’t tree canopies simply be trimmed back? To understand that I first needed to grasp what a tree truly is.  Further chats and research became essential, and boy did I learn a whole heap of wonderful knowledge. All trees, especially mature ones, have a natural growth pattern, and trimming the canopies too drastically can affect their health and structure. We have a team of skilled arborists to support our maintenance, and we actively limit unnecessary works to the trees.  As with most plants unnecessary pruning can exacerbate the situation as they will grow back more vigorously, it can also have a detrimental impact on the tree’s health and cause more long-term issues.  I also learnt that some trees have natural branch structures that need to be preserved to maintain the tree’s balance. If the canopy is cut back too harshly, it can result in weak growth and may make the tree more susceptible to damage in storms or high winds. As things began to make more sense to me, I noticed that our beautiful gas lamps are cast down way below our tree canopies and I see that our team are working hard to retain our greenery to ensure light obstruction isn’t a problem albeit a delicate balance, to ensure both the safety and longevity of the trees while addressing concerns from residents.

Learning about our trees has been extremely enlightening and I was thrilled to find out that we have a replacement and replanting plan in place, where trees are nearing the end of their cycle, we focus on replacements to ensure the continued beauty of our home. 

I truly love living here and despite some obstacles, my newfound knowledge and understanding has left me embracing our beautiful Estate with even bigger open arms.

Tasha Wood