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Can a preservation order be requested?

Big Blue SkyBig Blue Sky Posts: 716
in Problem solving
Our new neighbours don’t seem to be tree lovers and shortly after moving in removed a beautiful mature (healthy) ash tree and a few more nice trees from their garden. The last one standing is now an amazing quite mature oak tree (though not ancient). This oak tree is pretty much the only tree remaining in the whole neighbourhood and provides habitat and food to a large number of species, including the quite rare stag beetle.
I’m worried that the oak could become their “next project”, is there anything that can be done to protect it?
Surrey
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Call the council and ask to speak to the Tree Preservation Officer
    Devon.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Bit of info here.
    https://friendsoftheearth.uk/trees/how-protect-trees-guide-tree-preservation-orders
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Yes, you don't need to own the tree yourself. 
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited September 2020
    Yes, but don't tell the neighbour - let the Council do that, or you might prompt rapid chainsaw activity.

    Mention that other mature trees have been removed recently, so that they will get their skates on, and do any paperwork so as to prevent a preemptive demolition of the tree.
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    They can slap  an emergency TPO on , subject to ratification that will stop any work in its tracks until it has been properly assessed. I had a tree officer turn up with one of these at my workplace. Unfortunately the tree was not  the walnut they thought it was, it was a pear tree. How do you know said the tree officer. Erm, it has hard inedible pears on it. The walnut tree is over there. The said TPO was then amended to show the correct site of the walnut tree, and the very old past it pear tree came down. You can't put  TPO on a fruit tree.
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    We had 2 huge lime trees and wanted to widen the drive. The tree officer came to check as they had TPO on them. She had an ariel photo and asked about a couple of trees missing from the photo.
    One was a self seeded  sycamore, certainly not a garden tree close to the house!
    I pointed out I had planted 4 new trees but she had never heard of an Amelchanier!
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Clearly they weren't as middle-class enough to be familiar with the Amelanchier ;) 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • TackTack Posts: 1,367

    Just to clarify following the above discussio, Fruit trees can be subject to TPOs but can be pruned without permission if it is for fruit production following  correct horticultural practice. I think in the past fruit trees couldn't have TPOs but that was changed.


  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    fidgetbones said:
    How do you know said the tree officer. 
    Concerning!
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Cottage CompostCottage Compost Posts: 496
    TPO the tree asap please.   Contact the council etc as suggested.   I know of a large mature tree that was felled by the landowner in a desperate hurry.   A very similar situation, some trees were felled and one remained. A neighbour reported to the council that trees were being felled without permission and one remained.  The council prepared a tpo and arranged for it to be delivered by hand that same day.    However, someone at the council was a family member / friend of the person that owned the land where the tree was and forewarned them.

    The tree was felled minutes before the tpo was delivered.   They were prosecuted and fined for Felling trees without planning permission, but they also got planning permission to build 6 houses some months later.  The fine was an insignificant part of the development costs on the whole.
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