Expensive mistake by a developer

AdrianC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46380554

Developers "accidentally" cut down a ~200 year old Redwood tree on the edge of an 80 home development in listed parkland... The council are waving the TPO at them, and the developers say they'll replace it with a similar mature specimen.

That's really not going to be cheap...

maisie_cat

How on earth are they going to find a 200 year old tree to replace it with? you can't exactly get them in the local garden centre. If I were a cynical person on the other hand, I would bet that they know they will not be able to replace it. The tree surgeon must have taken away some really valuable "waste" though

davidmcn

Surely any other 200 year old trees are (very likely) covered by their own TPO?

AdrianC

maisie_cat wrote: »

How on earth are they going to find a 200 year old tree to replace it with? you can't exactly get them in the local garden centre.

No, but there are a number of professional suppliers of mature trees.

8m tall redwood, in a 4,000l pot... £10k...
http://www.majestictrees.co.uk/tree-shrub/486-sequoia-sempervirens

And 8m isn't that big or mature for a redwood... The one in our garden has to be at least twice that - and has a trunk nowhere near the diameter of the one shown in the article.

If I were a cynical person on the other hand, I would bet that they know they will not be able to replace it. The tree surgeon must have taken away some really valuable "waste" though

The value of the timber is not going to be a patch on what it's going to cost them, even before you consider the fine (up to £20k) for breaching the TPO - and that's before the issues over the listing.

sevenhills

maisie_cat wrote: »

How on earth are they going to find a 200 year old tree to replace it with?

They should be made to replace it with 20, 10-year-old trees; and then another 20 as a penalty, in a different location.

Rosemary7391

davidmcn wrote: »

Surely any other 200 year old trees are (very likely) covered by their own TPO?

And even if they weren't you'd likely kill them in any attempt to dig one up and move it!


I don't think the person the article quoted really understands the concept of a mature tree not being a thing that can be bought in a shop for money....

AdrianC

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

I don't think the person the article quoted really understands the concept of a mature tree not being a thing that can be bought in a shop for money....

Except it is.


200 year old mature? Probably not, largely because the size of a redwood of that age would be prohibitive for most road transport. But mature? Definitely. I've already linked to an 8m redwood for sale. It's far from uncommon for developers and landscapers to move mature trees.


Today's MSE film club recommendation:- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3655972/

G_M

davidmcn wrote: »

Surely any other 200 year old trees are (very likely) covered by their own TPO?

Cross that bridge when they come to it.


If forced, just replace the replacement tree with.... a replacement tree.........

Rosemary7391

AdrianC wrote: »

Except it is.


200 year old mature? Probably not, largely because the size of a redwood of that age would be prohibitive for most road transport. But mature? Definitely. I've already linked to an 8m redwood for sale. It's far from uncommon for developers and landscapers to move mature trees.


Today's MSE film club recommendation:- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3655972/

I'm being a bit sloppy with my language. I meant a true equivalent - as in a similar height and girth.



Can they really move 200 year old trees without killing them? I can't even begin to imagine how, but I'll confess it would never have occurred to me to try. I'd rather build somewhere else or not at all.




Edit: A bit more perusal of Adrian's link shows they sell trees up to 150 years old. Who would've thought! Looks like I've learned something today.

AdrianC

...and a tree surgeon has commented elsewhere that redwoods weren't introduced to the UK until 1853...

bouicca21

Don't worry about road transport costs - surely they will need to consider importing one from California (forest fire destruction permitting).



And since that is ludicrous, and as suggested another 200 year old tree will almost certainly be covered by a TPO, I hope they get fined to the maximum. Bet they thought they could get away with it.