Ruined pavement!?

patman99

I wouldn't worry. The local council will soon remove the saplings if they don't want them there.

minicooper272

sevenhills wrote: »

I have planted oak saplings in my local area, and I plan to plant some more. I am told it against the law, I think the police have got better things to do.

No, police aren't likely to be bothered, but you might receive a bill for their removal!

You should make sure there were no pipes running under where you planted said saplings too. Roots can damage pipes and cause gas leaks/water leaks/flooding.

EachPenny

Aefb2017 wrote: »

Thanks both, I swear it looks worse this afternoon! Am I entitled to paint the pavement black when presumably it is owned by the council and not me? (Ironic I am asking this I know, given that that didn’t stop me using spirit on it )

No, it is unlawful for an unauthorised person to 'paint' a public highway (or interfere in any way with the surface). The issue which would be of greatest concern to the highway authority would be that tarmac has an 'open' structure which gives it a slip resistant quality. Most paint is not only unlikely to stick to tarmac, the effect it will have is to fill and clog the holes which provide slip resistance - meaning the first time it rains (or is icy) there's a very good chance of someone slipping and taking legal action against the council, who in turn will want to find out who put paint on their footway.

There is a specific offence (Highways Act 1980, S131(c)) which is the one the Highway Authority (not the police) would most likely use to take action against you. In some areas these offences can now be dealt with by a fixed penalty notice rather than prosecution, so some authorities are increasingly interested in enforcement. (££££ )

minicooper272 wrote: »

No, police aren't likely to be bothered, but you might receive a bill for their removal!

You should make sure there were no pipes running under where you planted said saplings too. Roots can damage pipes and cause gas leaks/water leaks/flooding.

It is very unlikely that the police would get involved, but they are not the primary enforcement authority in this situation. It is the Highway Authority which would take action if they felt it necessary or worthwhile.

It is an offence for an individual to plant a tree in the public highway without the consent of the Highway Authority and without a licence issued by them. It is also an offence to dig the hole (even in a verge) necessary to plant the tree. (Sections 131 & 142). The Highway Authority would have a legal duty to remove trees 'illegally' planted in certain circumstances.

I wouldn't attempt to plant a tree in the highway without permission - not only because of the risk of prosecution (it does happen) - but more importantly due to the risk of either damaging equipment buried in the verge (a lot of expensive to repair telecoms equipment is very shallow) or that the tree planting causes someone to be injured (perhaps unlikely, but very expensive if it does happen). The Highway Authority and organisations authorised to plant trees are protected against such risks, but guerilla gardeners aren't, and it is a risky practice in our increasingly litigious society.

Highway Authorities also have a duty to manage the trees on the public highway and many keep accurate records of what trees they have so they can ensure they comply with their public protection duty. If your Authority is one of those they are unlikely to take kindly to trees suddenly appearing out of nowhere... it is a maintenance headache and messes their systems up

Cats_are_great

Why not try jet washing it with a detergent additive?

EachPenny

Cats_are_great wrote: »

Why not try jet washing it with a detergent additive?

The damage has already been done, doing anything else - especially jet washing - is only going to make the situation worse.

The solvents from the white spirit have affected the binder in the tarmac. The only thing to do is to let the solvents work their way back out. Jet washing risks dislodging parts of the now weakened tarmac.

As others have said, the best thing is to leave it alone and allow nature to take its course - it will hopefully fade to blend in with the surrounding areas.