intamixx

I just came back after a week away and have read the posts. Thanks for all the views and perspectives you have given, its been a very interesting read! I can see sense in the points raised, like "trimming forces it to grow back more agressively" and "less is more". But looks like a 2m crown lift is the only permissable work at this point and for the foreseeable future.. The council have replied to me when I asked for a 2m crown reduction and crown lift of 2m;. "I would not want to see the tree canopy reduced overall at this time, nor would I agree now to permit it in a couple of years time as there are no concerns with the health or structural stability of the tree that would justify the work. It is unlikely – unless the condition of the tree changes; that we would agree to a reduction of the tree at a later date due to the detriment this would have on the health and vitality of the tree. I can write a consent letter for the revised work or issue a refusal letter for your initial tree works application which you can appeal through the Planning Inspectorate if you wish to do so." Yes I am looking to retain the tree, but just looking to manage it better long term. My first post a few months ago was about a tree survey report for a propsed extension and whether I absolutely needed to have a report done. In the meantime, I will try to find out a bit more about the TPO itself.

I have a TPO on a Beech Tree which I am wanting to reduce in size as it causes excessive shading. Please see attached picture. I am applying to reduce the height by 5m and lateral spread by 3m. Its approximately 15m tall. I've had it 20% thinned about 3 years ago, so a bit of foilage has been removed in the past. An arboriculturist from the council visited today and said what I was proposing was harmful to the tree. He stated that I would not be able to reduce the height, but would only allow me to crown lift about 2-3 metres from the base (to a suitable pruning point) to allow more light onto our lawn / house. He ended up saying maybe I wait another 2 years and we see how it looks from that point. My question is; how big is this tree likely to get? Is there any way I can get it reduced in size? My lawn is already un-even due to the shallow nature of the beech tree root. I'm trying to maintain the tree as best I can and don't want to manage a massive tree if I can avoid it. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. The RPA is about 8.5m and behind the tree is a main road (where I don't think the roots would spread to). The tree is about 80-100 years old.

I'm in Runnymede. Guess I just need to find out what council policy is for this type of work (as it seems to vary) and what TPO tree distances they deem as out of scope. That alone may not be straight forward.

Yes the tree will cast shade on the extension. As it stands it casts quite a large shadow on the existing house as the sun moves around during the day. Thanks for the reponses, very useful.

Hello, I am after some advice about a proposed extension to be built in relative close proximity to my TPO Beech Tree and whether or not I require an arboricultural survey to be conducted. (If I do not need to, as the RPA is not affected, I would rather avoid the cost!) I am not in a Conservation Area and I live in a normal residential area. I have attached a diagram and photo to this post which highlights the position of the TPO Beech Tree within my property. The tree is approximately 15m high and has a 8m spread in total. I have measured the stem diameter (0.7m) and calculated the RPA for the tree to be 8.4m as shown in the drawing. My proposed extension is 12.5m in distance from the stem of the tree, so therefore does that mean I do NOT have to get a full arboricultural survey completed? Is there another lesser form of the survey that I would need? According to the RPA guidelines and from what I have read, the tree's RPA is sufficiently far enough away from the development and therefore considered out of scope. I am currently seeking planning consent from my local council but am wondering whether the tree could potentially be affected by the development (from something I have overlooked) and should be assessed by an arboricultural consultant in accordance with British Standard BS5837 Trees in Relation to Construction. Thanks, matt