Liquidambar

The site's in a conservation area and had conditional planning permission - all the pre-commencement conditions had been applied for but most had not been discharged when all the trees listed for removal in the Arboricultural Method Statement [ c 200 trees] were felled just before the planning permission lapsed - just after the trees had been felled the LPA of the local council accepted that a small pre-lapse demolition meant development had commenced but a year later the planning permission has now been "quashed" or revoked by the council because pre-commencement conditions have not been complied with/discharged. I'm not sure if the fact that pre-commencement conditions were undischarged at the time of the tree removals meant this site didn't have planning permission when the trees were removed.The Arboricultural Method Statement is not listed as an approved plan in the Decision Notice for the planning permission. I've read in an Arboricultural Method Statement for a site in a different area that as soon as a site with an Arboricultural Method Statement gets planning permission any trees listed for removal in the Arboricultural Method Statement are immediately automatically approved for removal. I'm not sure if undischarged pre-commencement conditions make any difference to that - i.e. meant this site didn't have proper planning permission when the trees were removed. Generally speaking is the Arboricultural Method Statement for a site with conditional planning permission regarded as the go-ahead for tree removals? Would the developer need any other approval ?

For a site with planning permission, why isn't felling the trees listed for removal in the Arboricultural Method Statement treated as commencement of development?

The permission was for a 60 -bed residential care home and close care houses - the council landscape team OKd removal of 35 trees and 27 groups of trees before discharge of all pre-commencement conditions as "site clearance" - council planning enforcement says the clear felling isn't commencement of development. The new owner now wants to build just ordinary houses -says they cleared the site of trees so they could do a better topographical survey. We feel conned out of trees and care home.

Thanks - will bluebells survive it?

I live next door to a woodland site in a conservation area with planning permission for a residential development subject to about a dozen pre-commencement conditions- the owner has started removing trees approved for removal under the planning permission but before discharging the pre-commencement conditions - is removing trees approved for removal by a planning permission but before discharging pre-commencement regarded as commencement of development?