tree house in conservation area

[rsk]

I am involved with the planned installation of a treehouse in a Conservation Area. It will involve platforms in two trees, connected by walkways. All tree work is obviously covered by the blanket tpo, but to what extent does installing things in trees, or attaching things to them, constitute tree work? Mounting cables and beams or applying artificial loads is clearly potentially damaging to trees and we will be seeing what the TO has to say about it, but to what extent is it down to him, and what does the law say about it?

 

If i mounted something in a tree in a way that involved screwing a bolt into the trunk, eg. with something like this:

 

Original Garnier Limb

 

which the tree was able to grow around without any visible adverse effects, would i have committed an offence if the TO was not notified? does it come down to definitions of what is damage?

[treequip]

I am involved with the planned installation of a treehouse in a Conservation Area. It will involve platforms in two trees, connected by walkways. All tree work is obviously covered by the blanket tpo, but to what extent does installing things in trees, or attaching things to them, constitute tree work? Mounting cables and beams or applying artificial loads is clearly potentially damaging to trees and we will be seeing what the TO has to say about it, but to what extent is it down to him, and what does the law say about it?

 

If i mounted something in a tree in a way that involved screwing a bolt into the trunk, eg. with something like this:

 

Original Garnier Limb

 

which the tree was able to grow around without any visible adverse effects, would i have committed an offence if the TO was not notified? does it come down to definitions of what is damage?

 

Do you mean by this an area order or are you referring to the conservation area

[tree monkey]

i was led to believe that any work on trees in a conservation area you had to have permission.

if the individual trees are not under tpo then you still need to inform them that work is to be carried out.

[muttley9050]

Consent for things like this in a conservation area can be difficult. I know someone who had to take a treehouse down in a c a as it needed planning permission of sorts.

[rsk]

Do you mean by this an area order or are you referring to the conservation area

 

It is a conservation area. My understanding was that it is effectively the same as tpo ie. you need to apply for written consent.

[treequip]

It is a conservation area. My understanding was that it is effectively the same as tpo ie. you need to apply for written consent.

 

Nooooooooooo

.

In a conservation area you NOTIFY your intention, the LA has then the option of making a TPO to prevent you carrying out your notified works or allowing you to carry them out.

 

This is effectively a lesser degree of protection unless what you proposed is ruinous to trees of sufficient amenity value

 

Any invasive works will be looked on with a sceptical eye, making the tree house free standing with any attachments done with non invasive techniques will be your best route to a problem free installation.

 

Bolting beams and suspension points will likely attract a TPO

[beechwood]

I built a treehouse for my kids a couple of years ago and one of my neighbours complained to my local LPA

Caused a lot of grief, planning enforcement officers came round, in the end I had to submit a retrospective planning application as it was a raised platform over 300mm high

 

So in my experience

 

Planning application required and as part of that you may be required to provide an Arboricultral method statement.

 

Good luck

[daltontrees]

Whether consent is needed for a tree house is one question. Whether consent needed for drilling into tree is another. For example, tree houses are often built on stitls and not connected to tree, but might need consent.

 

The things you can't do to a TPOd tree are listed in the Act. They all apply to CA trees Basically no topping, lopping, cutting down, uprooting, wilful damage or wilful destruction. If the bolting is specified and done properly such that there is no prospect of material damage to the health (damage that could be misconstrued as wilful, by which I mean deliberate and premeditated to cause damage) of the tree and the amenity it provides, one could taker the view that you don't have to notify the Council. However, if it was me and consent was required for the tree house anyway, I would include details of the drilling etc in the application and ask the Council to take that part of the application as CA ntification for the treework.

You'll let us know, won't you, what the outcome is?

[rsk]

In a conservation area you NOTIFY your intention, the LA has then the option of making a TPO to prevent you carrying out your notified works or allowing you to carry them out.

 

This is effectively a lesser degree of protection unless what you proposed is ruinous to trees of sufficient amenity value

 

I see. Although, these seem to me to be quite similar: either you notify and see whether you are allowed to go ahead, or you apply for consent and see whether you are allowed to go ahead. Either way it's at the discretion of the LA, how is it a lesser degree of protection in a CA?

[rsk]

If the bolting is specified and done properly such that there is no prospect of material damage to the health (damage that could be misconstrued as wilful, by which I mean deliberate and premeditated to cause damage) of the tree and the amenity it provides, one could taker the view that you don't have to notify the Council.

 

There clearly wouldn't be any acts deliberately intended to cause damage, but with any invasive technique there is a risk of harming the tree eg: through accidentally allowing disease introduction, although its a risk that seems hard to quantify. If a tree eventually dies as a result of my tree house, isn't that the point at which i'd fall foul of the law?

Putting aside the question of applying for planning for the treehouse, if I take all reasonable precautions to minimise harm to the tree, why would I need to notify, the council since it is not tree work per se?