Basement Flat, 184 Lewisham Way, London, SE4 1UU Data via plota.co.uk

Proposal

T1 - Sycamore - crown reduce 14m in height. Reduce height by 6m from 14m to 8m, cutting back to live growth. Reduce laterals by 4m from 8m to 4m back to live growth on all compass points. A mature Sycamore standing to the rear of the property, in very poor structural and physiological condition. The upper crown carries extensive deadwood and dieback and the canopy is sparse and thinning, indicating a marked and continuing loss of vitality. Structurally the upper stems and branches are weak, and a significant quantity of dead and declining wood is being retained over the garden and the adjoining boundaries, where it presents a foreseeable risk of failure onto areas used by the occupants and neighbouring properties. The proposed works take the crown back to live growth throughout, removing the dead and failing material that presents the immediate hazard and reducing the leverage and end-weight carried on the weakened structure. Reduction rather than removal is proposed as the least intrusive option available: it addresses the safety issue while retaining the tree and its amenity value on the site, and gives the remaining live growth the opportunity to respond and, it is hoped, return the tree to a more vigorous condition. Data via plota.co.uk