Not moneysaving, more tree saving

pollsdolls

Has anyone read about the council that wants to cut down a 150 year old Monkey puzzle tree for H&S reasons?

LINK to the story. The world has gone mad

What do other people think? Is it just me who feels that it would be tragic to lose this tree for the reasons quoted?

mary43

Must admit I'm not a fan of the Monkey Puzzle Tree -in fact there's one in the garden that backs on to us and for a while we had problems with the branches pushing our garden wall over but now its grown a bit taller its ok.
The tree had been there for so long our council wouldn''t let it be taken down when new owners of the property moved in and asked about it.
Something to do with it being so old thought I doubt that its 150 years old.
The needles can be sharp but surely as long as people are made aware of it there shouldn't be a problem.
Makes me wonder whats next ? Banish all laburnam trees in case children eat the pods and poison themselves......?? Bad enough that there's no longer supposed to games of conkers anymore due to the health and safety folk

So personally I'd say let the tree stay there.

Lotus-eater

The council is only trying to protect itself from litigation. It really has little choice, until the councils are protected from stupid accident cases. (IMHO)

pollsdolls

mary43 wrote: »

Makes me wonder whats next ? Banish all laburnam trees in case children eat the pods and poison themselves......?? Bad enough that there's no longer supposed to games of conkers anymore due to the health and safety folk

So personally I'd say let the tree stay there.

Lotus-eater wrote: »

The council is only trying to protect itself from litigation. It really has little choice, until the councils are protected from stupid accident cases. (IMHO)

I understand, that we live in a society where people can 'claim' for anything. But as Mary3 said, 'What's next' where do you draw the line? We cannot legistlate for every eventuality. :rolleyes:

The action by the council, may well put the idea in someones head to make a claim about being 'stabbed' by the tree.

I am sure if we tried, that a reason could be found to ged rid of most things (not only tree) on a H&S issue. First one monkey puzzle tree, then all monkey puzzle trees, then maybe all trees.??

Lotus-eater

There was a program on BBC2 (I think) the other day called, trees that made Britain. It was talking about councils in London removing mature trees because of insurance companies threatening to sue them. Defending one case would cost the council a whole years worth of tree allocated money.
You should be able to find the program on the BBC shows on demand thingy.

Davesnave

Meanwhile, in sunny downtown Bolton, the Council have planted one:

http://www.boltoneveningnews.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2256667.mostviewed.bolton_tree_locked_up_for_safety_reasons.php

Lotus-eater

I wonder when certain types of grass will be banned, because you can cut your finger if you pull the grass hard enough. Concrete anyone?

mary43

Cant see the Health and Safety chaps going along with concrete...........bit hard if you trip and bump your head.............ooops.........there goes another compensation claim.
Honestly,this health and safety lark is going just a bit too far to make any sense at all.

Totally off topic but just to show how silly things are becoming...........OH told me he'd heard a child was given a helium balloon and walking home with it, it flew out of his hand and drifted off and he's being fined for dropping litter..............now how true that actually is I don't know and how much might have been exagerrated but nothing would surprise me.

alanobrien

Here is another 150 year old that was in the way of "progress"" so it went.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/4109037.stm

Councils or Business its all regretable madness.

pollsdolls

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I wonder when certain types of grass will be banned, because you can cut your finger if you pull the grass hard enough. Concrete anyone?

:rotfl: :rotfl: Yes I was thinking, op are always tripping over flagstones and suing the council, so maybe all sidewalks should be removed For H&S reasons.

pollsdolls

mary43 wrote: »

Totally off topic but just to show how silly things are becoming...........OH told me he'd heard a child was given a helium balloon and walking home with it, it flew out of his hand and drifted off and he's being fined for dropping litter..............now how true that actually is I don't know and how much might have been exagerrated but nothing would surprise me.

I can well believe it. Look at this

I dropped a morsel of my girl's sausage roll and the litter police fined me £75