Tree Preservation Order

Katiehound

Sorry, no sympathy here as you bought the property knowing that the tree had a TPO. Mature trees take years to grow......and are of benefit to the community, nevermind the bird population.....

It's a bit like people who buy a house and then complain about the noise from kennels or the smell from a farm when those businesses have been there for years, maybe even before the house was built.

andrewf75

I'd like to think its very difficult to get a protection order removed. Mature trees are of huge value.

Davesnave

I sit mostly in the 'protect the trees' camp here, but having seen some gardens totally ruined by neighbouring trees, I can see there's another side too. Something like a foreign sycamore of 80 feet is really only good for making violins and must be a nightmare to live beside. The best amenity value in that would come from being about 100m away!

However, a tree doesn't get to 80' overnight, so many of those affected would not have done as we have, and walked away from houses blighted in that way. It's a stigma for their owners and it might well hit them in the pocket. Like it or not, there is therefore a financial incentive to remove some trees.

Developers won't typically flout TPOs because they want to do repeat business in the same council area. I'm not so sure about private individuals like the ones phoebe mentions, or how matters of serious breaches go for them nowadays.

Ten years ago, councils were far more likely to pursue some breaches of planning legislation than they are now that money's tighter, but it's probably a postcode lottery. With heavy fines, pursuing those who flout TPO protection could be self-financing, but it's also a matter of diverting staff from other work. Certainly, things go on in my area which would have been challenged in a different era.

There again, where does one find someone skilled who will risk taking down a large protected tree? I know a few people who do this sort of work, but they just wouldn't touch it, because their insurance, and therefore their livelihood, would be at risk.

Please excuse me thinking out loud!

WeAreGhosts

Davesnave wrote: »

I sit mostly in the 'protect the trees' camp here, but having seen some gardens totally ruined by neighbouring trees, I can see there's another side too. Something like a foreign sycamore of 80 feet is really only good for making violins and must be a nightmare to live beside. The best amenity value in that would come from being about 100m away!

I sit in the 'protect the trees' camp too. I quite like the huge sycamore - the birds love it, it provides shelter, it shades us quite handily in the summer from the midday heat - I just wish it were perhaps half the size! The mess from it is the worst - bird droppings, the seeds, and the leaves! The leaves are the worst! Takes me about eight weeks to collect them all up

Debbie_Savard

TPOs on sycamores is a nonsense, they are non-native giant weeds.

WeAreGhosts

Debbie_Savard wrote: »

TPOs on sycamores is a nonsense, they are non-native giant weeds.

The woman who put the TPO on lives opposite. Must be nice for her, she doesn't have to deal with the mess it creates.

I was surprised when the professional report was disregarded by the trees officer in the planning department. I imagine if it does fall and cause damage I could have a claim against them. Although, if it were to fall and I were in bed at the time, I'd probably be dead anyway ....

glasgowdan

Robster88 wrote: »

Area (or 'blanket) TPOs still take into account the trees' amenity value, however it may be expedient to create an area TPO when this applies to a lot of (or group of) trees. The legislation for placing TPOs specifically mentions that it must be in the interests of amenity.

There are thousands upon thousand of trees in every county of the country that have TPOs and could be considered as having very low, to no, amenity value. Small trees, not visible from any public place, not part of the public landscape. I work in these gardens all day every day, I know the local tree officer well and informal chats plus experience have taught me a few things

andrewf75

Debbie_Savard wrote: »

TPOs on sycamores is a nonsense, they are non-native giant weeds.

Can see this point of view and I think species should be taken into account, but there are so many non-native trees which are so well established now and I’m not sure we have enough trees to be that fussy.

Zanderman

Debbie_Savard wrote: »

TPOs on sycamores is a nonsense, they are non-native giant weeds.

Nearly all plants in gardens are non-natives. They're only a nuisance 'weed' if they cause a problem by spreading uncontrollably.

By definition a TPO'd sycamore is an established amenity tree, valued (otherwise it wouldn't be TPO'd) not a giant weed.

Just because they 'can' cause problems doesn't mean they are 'all' problems.

Perspective is everything!

Davesnave

Zanderman wrote: »

Perspective is everything!

The salient point is that some trees planted or retained in urban environments may reach proportions inappropriate to their location. They become a nuisance by dominating the space that could be better occupied by other species, offering greater long-term benefits to humans and wildlife.

So, a narrow perspective which just considers the short term visual impact of a large tree may be unimaginative and limiting. It depends what it is and what the alternatives could also offer.

While many plants in UK gardens are indeed non-native, recent studies have shown that there are typically great benefits in this diversity. However, some plants exist which offer much less to wildlife than others, and large sycamores fall into that category.