Notification of works to a tree in a conservation area

[Will Heal]

Hi,

Yesterday I submitted a notification of works to a tree in a conservation area.

It was just an email letter but it contained all of the info it should have.

I have given several notifications of this type to one council before and they have been accepted straight away, but the tree officer for this council thanked me for my contact and attached a top form for me to notify them.

Do I need to fill in the form or is my original email adequate and can I just wait the six weeks and get on with it?

Thanks

Will

 

 

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[mrstumpy]

I would expect they wish for you to fill in the form. By sending TPO requests via an email, you would be 'bucking the system'. Councils like to be officious....

[Paul Barton]

Your original email is enough, assuming it was clear enough about the trees location and intended works.

 

 

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[Billy]

Original email should be fine in theory, but one of the councils I deal with will not accept anything but a TPO form, and it's easier to keep them happy

[Gary Prentice]

Original email should be fine in theory, but one of the councils I deal with will not accept anything but a TPO form, and it's easier to keep them happy

 

I don't think they have any choice or say in the matter. What you have to do and what they want you to do aren't necessary the same thing.

[skyhuck]

I don't think they have any choice or say in the matter. What you have to do and what they want you to do aren't necessary the same thing.

 

So true, some councils really do try and extract the urine.

 

A customer told me yesterday that her council and put "conditions" on the "approval" of her notice, she was told she had to plant a Walnut, I told he if they had not TPO'd the tree they had no such power, utter clowns!!!

[daltontrees]

Hi,

Yesterday I submitted a notification of works to a tree in a conservation area.

It was just an email letter but it contained all of the info it should have.

I have given several notifications of this type to one council before and they have been accepted straight away, but the tree officer for this council thanked me for my contact and attached a top form for me to notify them.

Do I need to fill in the form or is my original email adequate and can I just wait the six weeks and get on with it?

Thanks

Will

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

 

As others have said, the Council cannot make you use its form. In the primary legislation it says that you just have to have evidence that you "served notice of [your] intention to do the act in question (with sufficient particulars to identify the tree) on the local planning authority".

 

I would suggest that you tell the Council that you will not be submitting the form because you don't need to. Better that they know that the 6 weeks is officially rolling (which it is anyway) than leaving them waiting for a form to come in.

[stihlmadasever]

Depends on the TO really some are quite accepting of emails etc but some can be over officious and demand paperwork to be filled in to the letter of the law.

If it were me id fill in the paperwork as i know what councils are like,emails can easily get lost in over complicated systems.

[daltontrees]

Depends on the TO really some are quite accepting of emails etc but some can be over officious and demand paperwork to be filled in to the letter of the law.

If it were me id fill in the paperwork as i know what councils are like,emails can easily get lost in over complicated systems.

 

Ah no, that just encourages them to perpetuate the myth that they can demand a form be flled in. It's kinder in the long term to let them know that you know that they can't insist on forms. Just need to ask for acknowledgement of the email and if you don't get acknowledgement, print the email off and post it, and keep a note of doing this.

[treequip]

Ah no, that just encourages them to perpetuate the myth that they can demand a form be flled in. It's kinder in the long term to let them know that you know that they can't insist on forms. Just need to ask for acknowledgement of the email and if you don't get acknowledgement, print the email off and post it, and keep a note of doing this.

 

This :thumbup: