Agenda item

Felling of 4 Pedunculate Oaks marked 5, 6, 9 and 12 (within A6 of TPO 126) at Drummond Gardens and felling of 6 Lombardy Poplars marked 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 (T99-T103 and T105 of TPO) 284 at Long Grove Park.

Description:

Felling of 4 Pedunculate Oaks marked 5, 6, 9 and 12 (within A6 of TPO 126) at Drummond Gardens and felling of 6 Lombardy Poplars marked 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 (T99-T103 and T105 of TPO) 284 at Long Grove Park.

Officer Recommendation:

Part approval/part refusal (permitting lesser works).

Officer Presentation:

The Committee received a presentation on the application from the Tree Officer.

Public Speaking:

There was no public speaking on the application.

Decision:

Following consideration, Councillor Neil Dallen proposed a motion that the Officer recommendation be agreed. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Robert Leach.

The Committee resolved (7 for, 1 abstaining, and the Chair not voting) to:

PART A

REFUSE the felling of Oak T9 and Poplars T20, T21 and T25 for the following reasons:

(1)          Insufficient Evidence

It is considered that there is insufficient evidence to establish a direct causal link between these trees and the current episodes of subsidence related damage at the property

(2)          Harm to Environmental Quality

Removal of these trees will have an adverse impact on the environmental quality and sylvan character that provides amenity by denuding too much of the canopy cover and wildlife habitat, contrary to Policies CS1 and CS5 of the Core Strategy 2007, Policies DM5 and DM9 of the Development Management Policies Document 2015 and Section 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.

PART B

APPROVE:

-       Felling of Oaks T5, T6, T12 and Lombardy Poplars T22, T23 and T24

-       Crown reduction of Oak T9 and Poplars T20, T21 and T25

subject to the following conditions and informatives:

Conditions

(1)          Approved works

All tree works shall be carried out to British Standard 3998 in accordance with the following specification:

-       T5, T6, T12 - Oaks: Fell.

-       T22, T23, T24 - Poplars: Fell.

-       T9 - Oak: Reduce the crown by up to 2.5m. Remove dead wood.

-       T20, T21, T25 - Poplars: Crown reduce by 8m to a height approximately 2m above the historical pollard points, remove dead branches, retain the deadwood habitat of topping stubs but reduce their weight as necessary to ensure stability.

Reason: To ensure that the tree(s) receive the appropriate treatment and that the tree work is of a satisfactory standard to protect amenity in accordance with Policies CS1 and CS5 of the Core Strategy 2007 and Policies DM5 and DM9 of the Development Management Policies 2015.

Informatives

(1)          Completion

The work in this notification must be completed within two years from the date of this notification. If this is not the case, a new notification must be made to the local planning authority.

(2)          Protection of Plants and Wildlife

Anyone carrying our work to a tree, even under an exemption, should ensure they do not contravene laws protecting plants and wildlife. If in doubt, you are advised to seek advice form us or Natural England on how to proceed.

(3)          Continuation of Level Monitoring

It is recommended that level monitoring should continue a year after the felling of the trees to check the effectiveness of this measure in restoring property stability.