Residental development with TPO trees in private gardens?

[Laura 12345]

Hi all,

 

A quick question here concerning new residential developments on sites with TPO trees. Obviously the ideal situation is to incorperate TPO trees into areas of new public open space within a layout but, in a situation where this may not be possible for all TPO trees at a site, is there any legislation/standing advice against having TPO trees in private gardens? Appreciate the likely pushback from TOs with the expectation for the potential increase in works applications and limited control on what people do in their private gardens, but is there any formal legislation on this? It would be useful to present to clients/architects. 

 

Thank you. 

[daltontrees]

what country?

 

[Mark Bolam]

We work on loads of TPO trees in private gardens.

[Anno]

It does and can happen, but you are storing up all kinds of hassle and trouble after five years.

[Laura 12345]

On 17/03/2023 at 12:15, daltontrees said:

what country?

 

 

 

All across England! 

[GarethM]

So you want to incorporate trees with TPO's into residential developments or public space.

 

Whilst at the same time needing to keep them far enough away from anything structural or permanent including fencing, patios and footpaths etc.

 

Sounds like a cluster fk further down the line as you'll need what a exclusion zone of 15-20m and growing for something mature.

[Mark Bolam]

Truth.

 

All the bollocks we’ve had to put up is because houses have been built way to close to some really nice TPO trees.

 

But it’s always the trees fault….

[waterbuoy]

52 minutes ago, GarethM said:

So you want to incorporate trees with TPO's into residential developments or public space.

 

Whilst at the same time needing to keep them far enough away from anything structural or permanent including fencing, patios and footpaths etc.

 

 

Not to mention the drainage, water supply, BT and electric networks etc

[GarethM]

2 minutes ago, waterbuoy said:

 

Not to mention the drainage, water supply, BT and electric networks etc

Exactly, I'm not against trees and hate these denuded urban housing estates but when you stack houses like sardines a tree isn't exactly a solution to make it greener.

 

Even street trees were always intended to be removed periodically, which is somewhat nice visually and utter stupidity at the same time.

[daltontrees]

8 hours ago, Laura 12345 said:

All across England! 

Other countries exist in the UK and the planning laws are different in each.

There's no legislation that says TPO trees can't be in private gardens. Indeed, many are and it rarely sits well with householders. There are plannign application appeal precedents that have supported refusal of applications for houses on the basis that the trees are at risk from pressure for reductions and felling for light and other amenity later. TPOs don't change that, they just ramp up the conflict. Local authorities increasingly have policies that presume against development close to offsite trees, it's of dubious legality but it's for the same reason, to prevent future conflict in which the trees invariably lose.