How much does it cost to plant larger diameter trees?

[ukminch]

Some LAs are going slightly bonkers with planning conditions, and the client probably has to supply a 5 year maintenance agreement too.

 

See this one for Reading, on a site for about 15 houses.

 

http://www.reading.gov.uk/documents/committee_services/planning_applications_committee/070404/item15cockneyhillpacapril07.pdf

 

"The approved landscape scheme included 23 semi-mature trees (40-50cm

girth, 8-10m high) to compensate for the trees removed prior to the submission of a planning application."

 

The total tree cost was something like 50k, though that included about 100m of 'instant wildlife hedge', and some of the "semi-mature trees" were slightly too small.

 

I think it's quite sad (and funny) - trees being taken out because they are 35-40cm rather than 40-50cm.

 

F

 

Might teach the developers not to do stuff without proper planning in place tho:thumbup:

[ferdinand2000]

I think that was the Council being a little creative - no indication of TPOs or anything.

 

I'm more interested in why they are enforcing 40-50cm girth on developments, when their own policy is small trees unless they are vulnerable to vandals when they will use semi-mature. It is not achieving maximum utility for the cash.

 

Their policy aim is to maximise tree cover development in Reading and they have some ideas about their trees compensating for CO2 emissions (Heh - significant input with a few thousand trees :-).

 

If that's the idea they should be asking for 20-25cm trees at about a fifth of the cost, which will grow as big in just a few years, and then asking for the rest of the cash to go on replacing street trees the Council has decided it can't afford - or to spend the 20k or 30k saved to establishing 20 or 30 acres of woodland for 5 years (excl. land cost :-) or 2 or 3 acres including land.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

Ferdinand