Trees in conservation areas

[Tc345]

We live in a conservation area and are planning to have a very large eucalyptus in our garden reduced significantly. The crown is reaching over an outbuilding and some flint and clunch garden walls so we're getting worried about damage. A tree surgeon has been to take a a look and recommended a 50% reduction but as we live in a conservation area the following applies:
"The Town and Country Planning Act makes special provisions for the protection of trees within conservation areas, that are not otherwise protected by Tree Preservation Order (TPO). All trees with trunks measuring over 7.5cm in diameter at a height of 1.5m from the ground, regardless of age, species or location are automatically protected."

It seems absurd to me that such small trees require so much paperwork but there we are! My reason for posting was to ask if any other PPUKers have experience of applying for permission to trim trees, of any size, in their gardens? The form looks pretty straightforward but does anyone know of things to bear in mind, any experiences to share? I'm wondering if there's much chance of the application being rejected or whether there'll be that much interest from the planning dept really.

There's a clear case for reducing the tree as it's roots are threatening listed outbuildings and walls that have historical merit within a conservation area.

 

[skier-hughes]

No personal experience, but I've followed others in their quest.
Those that have been most prepared, so, as you have done, got a tree surgeon in to give a report, give facts and balanced reasons for the work have all been successful.
In our area, they'd rather see a well looked after tree than leave it to suffer and removal.
Go for it.

 

[Pennyviz]

yes, used to live in Richmond, who were very particular about their trees. Got permission for several to be crown thinned and reduced, mainly as they were sycamores which were multi trunked and for their own health needed to be thinned out. Used tree surgeons report and the council guy also came out and had a look. Got permission for most of it.
Penny

 

[malcolm]

I had the willow reduced by 50%. The tree surgeon applied to the council and I don't know what he said in the application, but it was no problem.

 

[keatsie]

We have just complete work on a listed blue ceder, we used a tree surgeon who completed the application on our behalf. He took pictures for the application and marked out the areas of work and the reason behind the application. A planning office came round and inspected the tree and the proposed work, he complimented us on taking the right approach and the work was approved.

It takes a couple of weeks to get the formal approval but the application process seems quite straight forward. Use a tree surgeon and they can advise the whole planning process. The planning office was sensible, he understood the reason for the work and gave some additional advice about a couple of other trees while on site.

It does seem a bit of a pain but its not as bad as it seems.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tc345]

Thanks all, sounds like it should be straightforward and reasonable. The tree surgeon has offered to help with the application (which i guess is a form of business development for them!) so we'll definitely take him up on the offer. The only trouble is it's one of those jobs where you keep saying 'we must get that done this weekend' and before you know it a month's passed, all sorts of other jobs have been done but you've still not filled out the application!

 

[Salty]

We have put in several applications over the years as I have always lived in conservation areas. My tips are to take lots of pictures, include any reports you have and be sensible, as the point of the application in my mind is to achieve a sensible balance between maintaining the health and integrity of tree, the beauty of the area you live in and the safety of the built structure.

the stunning 30' magnolia 1' from the side of my house will be a casualty soon, but is down to the previous owners planting things but not thinking about whether they can maintain them and how big little plants can grow when they are unable to.

 

[dandrew]

Like others I have had no problem, and if recent experience just before Christmas is anything to go by the process is fairly easy:

1. Get your preferred tree surgeon round to tell you what s/he is going to do. You will need this info. when you fill in the online form on the Gov.uk online planning portal. It needs to be in the 'right form of words' that will enable the Council's officials to be certain of your work eg. raise crown by 3m, crown thin by 10%, remove all overhanging branches within 1m of house boundary etc. Simply 'trim tree' won't be good enough.
2. Buy a copy of the electronic OS survey map of your road, its in pdf format I think. This will be needed to show the Council where the tree is on your property. I bought one several years ago for a small fee and have used it every time I want to submit something to the Council. You'll need elementary computer skills to put a green circle on your OS plan to indicate the position of the tree. Label each tree you want to work on with a different ID eg T1, T2, T3 etc
3. Complete the planning application online and upload an electronic copy of your plan to the webportal. I've never used any photos, but what I've done would be classed as normal maintenance.
4. Sit back and wait. If your Council is well staffed you'll have a visit from someone who will eyeball your tree and see if what you want do seems ok. If they can see the tree from the pavement you probably won't even know they've visited. Otherwise if you haven't heard anything after 6 weeks you are free to do the work you asked for permission to do. In my experience once you've requested permission the first time, subsequent requests are nodded through without an inspection as long as you want to do sensible maintenance; the permission letter usually turns up a week after you've had the tree fellas in.

In contrast in the public spaces in my neighbourhood in Sheffield, the Council are taking down hundreds of healthy trees despite local objections, and all because they are 'damaging the highways' (a few upset kerbstones), and as far as I can can tell permission from themselves to do this has not been mentioned.
Ain't life odd !

David

 

[Flyfisher]

Our previous house was located in woodland in which every tree (and hedge) was subject to a preservation order, but we never had any problems with cutting back, 'lifting' or even removing whole trees when it was necessary - and nor did any of our neighbours.

As others have mentioned, find a reputable tree surgeon and let them deal with all the bureaucracy. If they are local then they probably already know all about the preservation orders, who to contact in the council for the required permission and how to justify the proposed work.

Make sure they don't just say they've obtained permission though :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

What with all this wind and rain, it's a wonder it hasn't "fallen down" on it's own...

 

[MatthewC]

I have done three separate (and successful) tree applications for a listed building in a Conservation Area - in fact what you do is to give Notice of Intention to do something. I have no idea if this is standard across the country, but the rules here are that if they do NOT say within six weeks that you CANNOT do it, then you can.

Mind you, in one case the Council kindly sent me an approval two days after the six weeks expired, which was a bit late by then as the deed had been done anyway!

 

[88v8]

We looked three years for a period house.
With a garden of any size, I expect to find some mature trees, indeed it was almost a requirement as we love trees.
Our previous house, we had thirty trees in a quarter acre, some holly, prunus, and cob.were 25ft tall within 10/20ft of the house.

With many houses we saw online, there were only stumps or the mutilated remains of trees that had had branches half sawn off, or perhaps been 'thinned' of 'topped' or lopped by so-called tree surgeons, many of whom are no better than ignorant butchers with chainsaws.
In some cases it appeared that the owners had butchered their trees because they blocked the sun. The sun, that great destroyer, from which trees give blessed shelter.

Houses with nothing but mutilated trees were immediately off the purchase list.
Just a thought.

All that said, some trees are best kept clear of buildings because of their thirst. Willow, eucalypt, are obvious examples.

Ivor

 

[Zebra]

I live in a conservation area, and have just planted a cherry tree. It's only small so far, right in the middle of the front garden.
So I may reduce or remove it until it gets to the size stated above, ie "trees with trunks measuring over 7.5cm in diameter at a height of 1.5m" but once it reaches that size I may not do so without permission, is that right?

 

[Salty]

Yes, you will be able to manage it without permission until it gets to baked bean tin size at 1.5m.

 

[Zebra]

Ah! A baked bean tin, that's a handy visual indicator. That's not very big though......
We're not talking about normal pruning, are we, though? Just major reshaping?

 

[malcolm]

There is a bit about the rules here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tree-preservation-orders-and-trees-in-conservation-areas

I take it as reasonably serious work on a tree that will take a few years to grow back (such as cutting off all the branches and cutting the top half off like I did to my willow) will probably need permission, but they aren't going to complain too much about the regular maintenance that you do every year. I like my willow - it isn't the most appropriate tree to plant near to a house with no foundations, but it is attractive now it has grown back.

 

[Salty]

Regular pruning is fine, I have always found it worth adding keeping a tree pruned/ shaped as part of regular garden work, rather than leaving it for several years and then needing to be more drastic.

 

[88v8]

If a tree is well chosen for its location, it will need no pruning. Some fruit of course excepted.

The next-best pruning is done in such a way as to be invisible. No lopping no topping.

Up the lane from us a beautiful weeping beech about 30' high has just been pruned. Well, it was growing across the lane into the telephone cable. But what the 'tree surgeons' have done is to lop the top off. Its weeping habit has been totally lost. It will grow back like a shaving brush. Hideous.

It's a shame that so many people seem to regard trees as a problem, rather than an important element of a Period property, in their way just as important as the house.

Cherry, btw, responds badly to pruning. It regrows at gawky angles and looks ugly. Pruning if any should be done in mid-summer to prevent silver leaf disease, and all cuts painted with an anti-fungicidal such as Anbrak.
In our previous house there was a fruiting cherry 90 years old and 40' across, it pretty well spanned the garden. Lovely tree. Fortunately it had been planted with regard to its ultimate size. This is how all trees should be planted. After all, we are all looking after something that will be passed on. What better to pass on than a fine unmutilated tree.

Ivor

 

[Zebra]

Thank you for that link, malcolm, and for your advice, Ivor, which I shall endeavour to follow. I'm not much of a gardener yet, and have much to learn about which plants like what.

 

[Flyfisher]

If a tree is well chosen for its location, it will need no pruning . . .

True, but in practice how many period properties (indeed any properties) have the space to allow magnificent trees such as oak, ash, beech etc to really spread their branches?

With the exception of relatively few pockets of ancient woodland, our entire country is a result of centuries of 'pruning'. Even in unmanaged woodlands, such trees will seldom have the space to fully branch out in the manner we love to see in, say, parkland and they end up being taller and thinner as they strive for space and light amongst the other woodland trees.