To think council letters should be in laymen's terms

[WorthingLass]

Perhaps my partner and I are in the minority, but we can't make heads or tails of this letter. Probably to kill off a tree but who knows.

Shouldn't council letters be easy to understand for regular commoners such are ourselves? We aren't all tree experts. We've had other (non-tree related) letters in the past which also made no sense.

I think radial spread is to so with the width of the roots/leaves and the lift is to clear under the tree so you can walk underneath it.

Yes be nice if it was made clearer though

They gonna cut your tree back a bit love.

(Easy)

Sounds like they're cutting back 2 trees and removing and replacing a 3rd.

Some trees have tree preservation orders on them which means the owners have to apply for permission to cut them back or chop down and replace them.

I assume there is a map attached and you are being asked if you object?

Reducing radial spread is making the tree narrower snd raising the crown is making more room underneath but removing lower branches. A quick google would tell you this.

It does read a bit jargony but they are telling you what the application is for and the terminology is correct. I think most people could figure it out tbh.

Radial spread just means round it, not overly technical, I wouldn’t have said? Crown is the top, so they are trimming to make the top higher above things for the yew and the oak, and they are chopping the cherry down? Not an arborist, just using the key words. More plain English could be used, definitely.

There'd be as many who would feel offended if it was in simple English.

You can Google it for a partial explanation. However it doesn't state what they are replacing the Cherry tree with. So the whole thing could be clearer.

It is in Layman’s Terms

I appreciate they are trimming someone else's tree (not mine) and I appreciate it's not wrong with its wording, but to me it doesn't really mean anything.

No doubt there would be people complaining it wasn't technical enough, people like complaining (like me I guess). And no, no map.

Cutting a tree, letting you know.

Just google 'radial spread', 'crown lift' and 'felling' - they're the proper words for what has to be done! Maybe they've used the same wording as they have in the contract with the tree management company.

Seems simple enough to me, they're cutting it back so it's thinner & shorter.

What would you prefer it said? "Trimming a tree a bit"? A look at the website it directs you to and a quick google is all that's needed.

There should d also be a map showing where T1, T2 and T3 are. But presumably they will neighbour your property, otherwise you wouldn't be told about the plans.

The tree numbers (T1 etc) refer to plans , and the spread and height are going to be reduced by the dimensions stated. Pretty clear really.

It means your house has been compulsory purchased and they will knock it down to save the tree

Could you imagine the thread of the council had sent this out without using the proper terms

It is in laymans terms. Any more basic would be offensive

Seems straightforward to me, what bit don't you understand?

If it's something they are obliged to send for legal reasons or whatever then it usually has to be in a standard wording.

This may of interest - www.plainenglish.co.uk/.

I have seen the Crystal Mark logo on local authority letters & communications.