Laurel

[IanG]

We have trees separated by 60 year old Laurels. These are in excess of 100mm diameter @1500mm from ground and 7mtrs high.

The care home management have given very short notice, that they intend to remove these this coming Monday. 

We are in a conservation area. 

Please urgently advise if we can take any action.

many thanks. Ian

[rapalaman]

First point of call is your local council, ask to speak to the tree officer urgently. I can't look up the specific rules and regs tight now - I'm sure someone on here with far greater knowledge than me will be along shortly with more advice!

[Boy English]

Basically an application needs to be made to the council for any tree over 75mm at 1.5m (process takes up to six weeks)

If after receiving this notification the council wished to protect a tree they would issue a TPO

However a TPO can protect all types of tree but not hedges / bushes or shrubs.

At which point a shrub becomes a tree or trees become a hedge I can't advise but personally your picture looks like a hedge to me.

If I was the contractor I would call your local tree officer / council planning department and just check how they wanted me to go about the situation.

I suggest you give them a call.

[Mick Dempsey]

Has this letter arrived out of the blue? Are they your laurels? 

[Gary Prentice]

3 hours ago, EdwardC said:

What constitutes a tree has been raised in Court on more than one occasion. It's therefore fairly easy to answer. Anything you would ordinarily call a tree is a tree. That's birch oak, ash, elm, beech, etc. And size doesn't matter. But not shrubs, elder, snowberry, privet etc. I'd say that laurel, even big ones, are shrubs. Bean agrees. 

 

You can of course have hedges comprising trimmed trees, hornbeam, holly, Leylandii, etc. When the trimming stops the hedge plants can grow into a line of trees. At what point the hedge becomes trees would be a question for the decision maker, the LPA. However, it will revolve around what the hedge/row of trees looks like.

I know of TOs on here who have TPOd an Elder.

[Gary Prentice]

Based on experience of my local authority, I would say the conifers are trees and subject to a notification, the laurels not.

 

But even if the opening poster can get work stopped, IMO, further protection in the form of a TPO would be unlikely.  Assuming that these belong to the care home.

[simsimo]

I've recently been informed by my local council that laurels are exempt from CA trees and no application needs to be made for them regardless of their size.

[Gary Prentice]

1 minute ago, EdwardC said:

In one of my previous Authorities they had an historic TPO which included a privet hedge. Unfortunately I never got around to reviewing it.

I suppose that even a privet hedge could provide aesthetic, cultural or environmental benefits. And once it's in an Order you need deep pockets to contest it.

[IanG]

Many thanks for all of your comments.

i found a post from a lady who had removed mature laurels and her council were prosecuting her.

can anyone shed any further light please.

bear in mind that these are 25 feet tall and 60 years old. 

[Stubby]

23 minutes ago, IanG said:

Many thanks for all of your comments.

i found a post from a lady who had removed mature laurels and her council were prosecuting her.

can anyone shed any further light please.

bear in mind that these are 25 feet tall and 60 years old. 

Have you done any of the suggestions above ?