Felling & Clearing Sites

[Johny Walker]

That's your guidance, the developers guidance has "I promise to pay the bearer" written on it.

 

you mean dosh/cash/spondooleys etc

 

i know the 1,

[Timberwolf190]

I'm not quite sure why you ask as you seem perfectly aware of the guidance and legislation relating to trees. Felling licence definitely worth checking (obv). Other than that its a bloody shame that your in with the sort of developer who strips the site of all arboricultural antiquity ... to thrust their version of beauty at the bewildered locals.!

Were the trees planted as a crop or for amenity.?

Decide whether, as an Arb, you are the abattoir type or the Vet type ... Tree Care ? Or Tree No Care !

(Did I use too many exclamation marks?!!!)

[treequip]

I'm not quite sure why you ask as you seem perfectly aware of the guidance and legislation relating to trees. Felling licence definitely worth checking (obv). Other than that its a bloody shame that your in with the sort of developer who strips the site of all arboricultural antiquity ... to thrust their version of beauty at the bewildered locals.!

Were the trees planted as a crop or for amenity.?

Decide whether, as an Arb, you are the abattoir type or the Vet type ... Tree Care ? Or Tree No Care !

(Did I use too many exclamation marks?!!!)

 

Well that's proper poetic like, but as a poet artistic licence plays a part, its a brownfield site, it's had buildings infrastructure and use in living memory, how much "antiquity" do you recon there is?

 

Most brownfield sites I see are goat willow regeneration

[Timberwolf190]

Agreed 'Treequip'...Elder and Buddleia too. But maybe before the sites were initially developed someone had the foresight to retain some of the mature trees. All I'm saying is its a shame to wade in and level the place, when you might be able to incorporate specimen trees into the design plan. Thats what the basis of this thread is anyhow. If its all rubbish or totally in the wrong place to retain... I've got a digger with a grab for the job ;-)

[LeeWill]

Brownfield sites are different from greenbelt sites. They are classed as this for industry. If there are trees on this site and the owner wants them cleared then make sure you have it in writing and plow on with it. Any development (or future development) comes under town and country and the trees are exempt from a felling licence. Had to look this one up myself not long ago

[Gary Prentice]

Brownfield sites are different from greenbelt sites. They are classed as this for industry. If there are trees on this site and the owner wants them cleared then make sure you have it in writing and plow on with it. Any development (or future development) comes under town and country and the trees are exempt from a felling licence. Had to look this one up myself not long ago

 

Can you expand on this? If there's no planning consent and the exemptions (garden, churchyard, public open space) don't apply, more than 5 cube in the calender quarter, how is there no need for a felling licence?

[LeeWill]

Work has to be planned before this exemption comes into play, but if you have it in writing that development is on the table then your back is covered. You don't need to oversee plans of this, your just there clearing the path (so to speak)

[daltontrees]

Work has to be planned before this exemption comes into play, but if you have it in writing that development is on the table then your back is covered. You don't need to oversee plans of this, your just there clearing the path (so to speak)

 

Sorry, I don't understand. Are you saying that trees can come down without the need for a felling license because the site is in the Development Plan and therefore has deemed planning consent? If that is what you are saying, it doesn't seem to be backed up (in my reading) of the Forestry Act. The exemption for development applies only if there is current consent granted.

 

We have been holding off until this week on a development site clearance because if we had gone ahead 2 weeks ago when client had wanted we would have breached the Felling License volume threshold and the client could have been prosecuted. Whether he would have been is a different matter. He now has plannign consent and can clear without penalty. I felt it my professional duty to advise of consequences of clearing prematurely, client accepted the advice and held off. Any other contractor could have charged ahead and claimed ignorance of the status when the FC turned up. It's just a question of extended professionalism that keeps clients coming back to us again and again, but strictly speaking we are under no obligation to keep him right.

 

On the other hand if one asks in a public forum one can no longer plead or feign ignorance....

[LeeWill]

The planning on the site I cleared was in the final stages of consent. The consent was granted before work was finished. I obviously jumped the gun and went straight in when I found the exemption rule. I guess in this instance I was just lucky. I will, in future, pay more attention to the rules. Thanks (Y)

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Sorry, I don't understand. Are you saying that trees can come down without the need for a felling license because the site is in the Development Plan and therefore has deemed planning consent? If that is what you are saying, it doesn't seem to be backed up (in my reading) of the Forestry Act. The exemption for development applies only if there is current consent granted.QUOTE]

 

And further more, presumably, it has to be full/detailed consent rather than 'outline' consent...or at least that's my interpretation.

 

Paul