Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
•To be responsible for managing the trees, woodlands and hedgerows on the trunk network in the North & Mid Wales regions in accordance with Welsh Government requirements.
•To directly undertake tree safety surveys and condition inspections of trees along the North and Mid Wales trunk road routes.
•To co-ordinate and manage work programmes for the maintenance of trees, woodlands, hedgerows and associated soft estate undertaken by service providers.
•To assist the NMWTRA Environmental Co-ordinator and Ecologist in the management of the Welsh Government trunk road soft estate and where necessary undertake surveys or inspections of the soft estate infrastructure.
•To assist and provide general advice or training on arboriculture and soft estate management to NMWTRA staff.
Responsibility for functions
•Budget planning, allocation and commissioning
•Organise and prioritise work schedules to meet targets and deadlines
•Planned and reactive WGTRMM activities undertaken by service providers
•Management of Contractors (20+)
•Inspection equipment (binoculars, distance measurement device, digital capture device)
•Access to a vehicle
Main duties
Surveys and Inspections
a) Tree safety surveys
•Undertake systematic inspections of trees and hedgerows along the Trunk Road Network in accordance with Welsh Government Trunk Road Maintenance Manual (WGTRMM) requirements. This includes all trees within falling distance of the highway or causing an obstruction to visibility or lights, both those growing in the Welsh Government (WG) Trunk Road soft estate as well as third party privately owned trees. It also includes trees growing in the soft estate within falling distance of a third party property.
•Survey records to be collected in the field using hand held digital capture devices fitted with GPS. Tree inventory and condition data and management actions are to be collected for trees and hedgerows.
•Defects are to be risk assessed, prioritised and recommended actions assigned. Where necessary further inspections and investigations may be required on individual trees. Input and maintain data within Welsh Government’s asset management systems (ENVIS) and tree management systems.
•Monitoring inspections required to validate that work has been completed on defect trees identified in the survey. Feedback and coordination with the Business Team to ensure that the tree management systems are kept up-to date.
b) Woodlands
•Undertake surveys and inspections of the woodlands and planted plots within the soft estate and recommend management, implement and record.
•Identify tree pest and diseases, non-native species that may pose a threat to tree health or biodiversity.
•Undertake ad-hoc surveys of trees at the request from others such as Welsh Government, NMWTRA staff or a complaint from the public.
c) Biodiversity
•Identify constraints that may impact on management of trees or woodland such as protected species, sites or designations Tree Preservation Orders, Conservation Areas and arrange necessary surveys or applications for consent.
•Undertake inspection or monitoring of biodiversity infrastructure and other soft estate assets as required by the Environmental Co-ordinator or Ecologist.
Maintenance
•Design and implement management programmes for soft estate works in accordance with Welsh Government environmental management plans, the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), legislation and best practice requirements.
•To organise and prioritise work schedules for the delivery and management of tree and hedgerow remedial works programmes.
•To design and implement management programmes for the woodland areas and hedgerows to include thinning, pruning and, tree disease management and enhancing biodiversity as agreed with the Environmental Co-ordinator or Ecologist.
•To arrange work programmes, draw up project briefs and procure works in co-ordination with the route management teams and other NMWTRA staff.
•To meet with specialist contractors to discuss work required and assess work method statements, risk assessments and other documentation received from them. To assess quality of work undertaken by contractors and ensure that environmental legislation and good working practices complied with.
•Assist with implementing third party hazardous and nuisance tree processes under s154 of the Highways Act 1980. This may include site visits to meet and discuss tree related issues with third party landowners.
•Undertake and implement a work programme to maintain or replace biodiversity infrastructure assets in conjunction with the Environmental Co-ordinator or Ecologist.
•To support the NMWTRA Route Management teams with environmental management issues during emergencies including occasional incidents out of hours.
•To provide support to the NMWTRA Ecologist and Department’s Representative in regard of environmental issues on the A55 Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) section from Junction 1 to Junction 11 and associated roads.
Capital Improvements
•Provide assistance to the Ecologist and Environmental Co-ordinator in identifying opportunities for risk mitigation and improvement works and liaising environmental works at the same time as other asset management work programmes.
•Provide support and assistance to the Delivery & Inspection Unit and service providers in the design and implementation of planned capital improvement projects including work programmes for street lighting, structures, drainage and geotechnical works and ensure that trees are adequately considered and given appropriate protection to roots etc.
•To liaise with and oversee, service providers and supervisors engaged in the construction of biodiversity improvement works.
Other Requirements
•To assist NMWTRA with budgetary control of environmental allocations.
•To provide technical support to NMWTRA and Welsh Government and respond to queries from members of the public.
•To assist in the preparation of reports to Agency senior management and Welsh Government.
•To identify own training needs and participate in providing and receiving training as required.
•To liaise with SWTRA, Highways England, UK Highways Ltd, Coed Cymru, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), and Principal Designers, Principal Contractors (e.g. developers, landowners, utilities and Network Rail) in respect of planning or operational issues on or adjacent to the network.
•To provide Welsh Government with technical advice to enable it to discharge its statutory duties with regard to environmental matters and in particular WG major infrastructure projects.
General
•To ensure that Health and Safety matters are fully considered and managed in all aspects of the work of the Agency.
To assist NMWTRA and Service Providers to ensure compliance with:
•NMWTRA health & safety procedures;
•Construction (Design and Management) Regulations;
•Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations.
•To deal with complaints and enquiries in a courteous and professional manner.
•To foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. In this context, to monitor technological and other developments in the industry, including new methods, with the aim of adopting best practice wherever appropriate.
•To support and assist the Ecologist in the fulfilment of his / her duties and responsibilities.
•To assist other Agency staff in fulfilling their technical, financial and administrative duties.
•To communicate effectively and courteously with elected members, the public, members and officers of the Welsh Government and other external organisations and bodies.
•To co-operate and liaise with staff from other Departments of the Council, and Partner Authorities in order to promote the effective management of the Agency.
•To supervise and provide guidance on work carried out by subordinate staff.
•To ascertain and hold the latest information regarding professional standards, statutory requirements, technical developments and computer applications.
This is an illustrative list only. The post holder is expected to have a role in the process of managing and monitoring performance in accordance with the requirement of the post and to carry out other duties relevant to the nature and grade of the post in accordance with the Ecologist’s requests.
•In the fulfilment of the above duties, to liaise as appropriate with Welsh Government Officers, Partner Authorities and other relevant bodies.
•Responsibility for self-development.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
•Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
•Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
•Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.
Special circumstances
•The requirement to work outside normal working hours in order to meet the requirements of the Service.
•Incident Management and emergency situations may occur outside normal working hours.
•Attend meetings in other parts of the UK (e.g. Llandrindod, Cardiff).