Treework working with Dudley Council for Proactive Tree Management

Since 2023, Treework has been a vital partner to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, providing expert tree inspection and arb services to ensure public safety and proactive maintenance of the borough’s tree population. This collaboration highlights Treework’s extensive expertise, comprehensive service offerings, and commitment to high-quality arboricultural work.

Treework won a competitive tender process to provide the council with tree inspection and tree officer cover services for up to 5 years – demonstrating Dudley Council’s long-term commitment to effective tree management.

Providing a high level of service on a large arboricultural contract is a team effort and successfully meeting our KPI’s has demanded the skills and experience from various members of our consultant team with professional tree inspection certification and post-qualification experience assessing trees. Our approach is to assign a fully trained and supported team with a deputy for key roles and this process has ensured that the highest standard of expertise continues to be delivered to the council.

The tree inspections, carried out by our large survey team, have been overseen and managed by James Butler-White, a highly experienced Senior Arboricultural Consultant, with the support of Treework Operations Manager and Principal Arboricultural Consultant Andy Luddington. Our company’s decades of experience carrying out large-scale tree inventory surveys, means that our staff fully understand that tree inspection schedules and data accuracy require scrupulous management. This is why the effective delivery of clear and timely information to clients, requires input from our team of dedicated CAD/GIS Specialists. On the Dudley contract, this information has included maps and work schedules which have been provided to the council team to help them to manage their trees, plan budgets, respond to queries and proactively meet their duty of care for trees in relation to public safety.

Treework’s systematic approach has enabled the successful inspection, using the Visual Tree Assessment (VTA), of more than 30,000 trees in the first year and incorporation of the survey outputs with the council’s existing infrastructure, demonstrating adaptability and seamless integration with client systems.

Key Achievements and Expertise in Action:

• Comprehensive Tree Inventory: systematically adding to and updating Dudley Council’s inventory of tree stock – an essential resource that provides crucial information on the tree population and condition and enables proactive maintenance and prioritised work schedules.
• Cost-Effective Risk Management: Treework applies its expertise in tree risk management to support Dudley Council in meeting its duty of care for trees in a cost-effective manner. This not only ensures public safety but also optimises resource allocation.
• Ash Dieback Surveys: Treework has played an important role in carrying out Ash Dieback surveys across the borough, addressing a significant arboricultural challenge.
• Tree Officer Support: Beyond inspections, Treework provides specialist tree officer support, further strengthening Dudley Council’s in-house capabilities and ability to respond to tree related enquiries.

Damian Corfield, cabinet member for environment at Dudley Council, praised the partnership, stating: “Treework Environmental Practice has worked with us for the past two years, carrying out an inventory of the council’s tree stock. This has provided us with up-to-date information on our tree population and its condition, enabling us to be proactive with our approach to maintenance and to prioritise work. Treework applied their expertise in tree risk management to support us in meeting our duty of care for trees in a cost-effective way. It has also helped us carry out our Ash Dieback (ADB) surveys across the parks and countryside sites in the borough and provided specialist officer support.”

Commitment to Quality and Performance:

Treework Environmental Practice is proud to have been awarded this contract and delighted to share with others how specialised arboricultural expertise, combined with a commitment to working closely with client teams, can significantly enhance public safety and environmental stewardship for local authorities. Our ongoing work with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council stands as a testament to how our professional team apply their knowledge and comprehensive skills to the tangible benefits of local authorities and the public.