Agenda item

To receive and consider report 72/06 of the Landscape Officer (Arboriculture) (attached).

Introduction and Report Summary

Following an application to carry out works in a Conservation Area received on 1st February 2006 at 2 The Green, Sutton Courtenay the site was inspected to see if the works were appropriate. Four trees in the garden were to be felled, including an early mature walnut tree, and one sycamore was to be pollarded. A letter of objection was received from Sutton Courtenay Parish Council asking that the walnut should remain. Of the trees in the garden the walnut has the most merit and will soon develop into a tree that can be clearly seen by the public and be an asset to the Conservation Area therefore it was decided to protect it with a TPO. A map showing the location of the walnut tree is attached as an Appendix.

An objection was received to the order from the resident Mrs. J Wilkinson.

The contact officer for this report is George Reade, Landscape Officer (Arboriculture) 01235 520202 extension 504. 

Recommendation

that the Order be confirmed.

The Committee received and considered report 72/06 of the Landscape Officer (Arboriculture) which advised that an application had been received on 1st February 2006 to carry out works at 2 The Green, Sutton Courtenay which was in a Conservation Area.  The site had been inspected to see if the works were appropriate. It was explained that four trees in the garden were to be felled, including an early mature walnut tree.  One sycamore tree was to be pollarded.

A letter of objection had been received from Sutton Courtenay Parish Council asking that the walnut tree should remain. It was reported that of the trees in the garden the walnut tree had the most merit and would soon develop into a tree that could be seen clearly by the public and would be an asset to the Conservation Area.  Therefore it had been decided that the tree should be protected with a Tree Preservation Order.

An objection to the Order had been received from the resident Mrs J Wilkinson, details of which were set out in the report.  Furthermore, the Committee noted that Mrs Wilkinson had made a statement earlier in the meeting and Members were asked to have regard to her comments in considering the matter.

Photographs of the trees were displayed at the meeting and it was noted that Mrs Wilkinson had permission to remove 3 trees and pollard a sycamore tree. 

In response to the statement made by Mrs Wilkinson the Landscape Officer (Arboriculture) advised that if the walnut tree was “crowned” the light restricted to the detriment of the surrounding fruit trees would be reduced; the leaves did not in his view sour the land although they did contain certain compounds; the leaves were biodegradable and were non toxic; squirrels could be annoying but their presence was insufficient to warrant the removal of a healthy tree and in his view there was scope to relocate the vegetable plot within the garden.

The Landscape Officer (Arboriculture) advised that trees such as this walnut tree were trees which should be protected for the future.  He commented that the tree would be outstanding in years to come and that the Council had a duty to secure a succession of trees for the future.  He accepted that some trees could result in some inconvenience but that this did not outweigh the benefit which would be achieved from this tree which would be a magnificent specimen in the future.  Finally, with regards to the cost of the works required and ongoing maintenance he suggested that the amounts quoted by Mrs Wilkinson were excessive and that he would be able to give advice on alternative tree surgeons whose prices would be more competitive.  Furthermore, the Council had a grant scheme where grants were available for works required to trees the subject of tree preservation orders.

In response to a question raised the Landscape Officer (Arboriculture) advised that it was not unusual for a walnut tree to be preserved.

One Member expressed concerned about controlling what an individual could or could not do within their own garden, particularly when this would result in financial hardship on that person.  However, the Landscape Officer (Arboriculture) reported that the Council was bound by the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in this regard.

By 11 votes to 2, with 2 abstentions it was

RESOLVED

that Tree Preservation Order (Sutton Courtenay) No.4 be confirmed.