Do TPOs make the public resent trees?

[Paul Barton]

Following a few chats with people recently, and the current consultation on TPO procedures, I have been thinking about how effective TPOs are in actually maintaining or promoting tree cover in our cities.

 

Do you find that tree owners that have to abide by TPO regs resent the local goverment and even the presence of trees?

 

If TPOs were got rid of, what percentage of people do you think would be straight out to fell their tree/s?

 

Interested to hear your opinions and experience...

 

Paul

[Bundle 2]

Dunno.....! I reckon the public at large either does not know the system well enough to care or simply (as non tree owners perhaps) does not care.

I reckon the majority of those who own trees covered by a TPO probably do resent the responsibility and restrictions. This is not the overall impression held by the majority in the industry. It is however my experience of the public and too many of the contractors for whom I have worked over the years...(I have posted document surveys that seek to establish to what extent and in which context people view and appreciate trees )

It is also probably only fair to say that there simply is not the data to number crunch the stats that would tell us whether the TPO system does actually serve to preserve trees in the wider urban/planning/amenity context. One assumes that the "expedient" in context of the making of the order does speak of the need for preservation and by default, the effectiveness of the system(?)

PopularTrees.pdf

lohr1-04.pdf

Attitudes to tree usa.pdf

[Amelanchier]

Are TPOs meant to be used to promote tree cover? The wording of the TCPA (S198 (1)) is [my emphasis in bold];

 

"If it appears to a local planning authority that it is expedient in the interests of amenity to make provision for the preservation of trees or woodlands in their area, they may for that purpose make an order with respect to such trees..." blah blah blah.

 

Is amenity the same as tree cover? Related, but not the same IMO. If you want to increase canopy cover I think TPOs are probably the wrong tool for the job.

 

Do the public resent TPOs? Not the Orders as much as their use - I'd suggest the way in which they are used has more of an effect on the perception. I suspect the public resent bad planning decisions more.

[skyhuck]

I have felled 1000's of trees, because people are frightened that they will be TPO'd.

 

I think TPO's cause as many or more trees to be felled that they save.

[T14EES T14UNK]

I think conservation areas can annoy the public but TPO's are generally accepted if required for the majority of decent trees, or trees in and amongst new developments. It all depends on how you talk to your customers about it. I find most see the bigger picture if it is explained how awful it would be if anybody could come along and fell or destroy any tree they are asked to.

[Mesterh]

Yes they do IME.

 

As a contractor TPO's are a PITA to me and my paying customers.

 

I'm not saying we shouldnt have them, but the above is true.

[roseyweb]

I find TPO's ok but conservation areas are a bit of a joke, most customers don't believe me that trees they have planted them selves need 6 weeks notice if there over 10cm dbh. And the whole app process is slow, and quite needless.

TPO - Good

Trees in conservation area - Bad

[Paul Barton]

Thanks for posting those Journals Bundle 2. I will read them with interest.

 

I agree that resent is most likely when the system is used inappropriately by the LA. No doubt we have all seen TPO'd trees and wondered what the tree officer was thinking!

 

I wonder how many more trees we would have here if the money spent on administering TPO's (I have heard approx. £20 million per year) was spent on tree planting initiatives...

[Quickthorn]

I think it's more that certain people resent being told what they can or cannot do on "their" land. The irony is that the tree they want to remove, and others around them, may actually add value to their house (something they're often obsessed with, IMO).

[Bob Rolfe]

I think if we didn't have tpo's large expanses of older more valuable amenity trees would of been lost due to the fact that most places I've found that the trees are protected are on properties in more affluent areas are a lot of the time they just want the things gone due to it shedding leaves on the lawn or the merc and they have the money to do it. There again I've also seen trees felled by some richer people knowing that they are protected and they just take the hit. I'd keep the tpo's