Tree preservation orders - how?

[alldigging]

How do you get a tree preservation order? Has anyone done it?

[veggiechicken]

You need to ask your local planning authority (your council). They can tell you whether a tree is already the subject of a TPO and the procedure for making a TPO. You won't get them for fruit trees - as they need regular pruning

[VirginVegGrower]

We have TPOs on all our trees up here. But it didn't stop a neighbour taking down a birch on his land

[alldigging]

You need to ask your local planning authority (your council). They can tell you whether a tree is already the subject of a TPO and the procedure for making a TPO. You won't get them for fruit trees - as they need regular pruning

Oh that's a bugger. Some are 50 yr old non-fruit trees in the park, but they're planning on cutting into land at the block where the orchard is planted and taking 3 trees out.

[VirginVegGrower]

Not strictly true, you can get TPOs on fruit trees as I know of two on old mulberry trees. They have to adhere to being a certain trunk width, height and conservation area. The council though is your only avenue.

[alldigging]

OK thanks - have suggested it to my friend who still lives there. He's just said they tried it before with trees that were 'dropping stuff on cars' and it didn't work as the trees got cut down

[veggiechicken]

Oh that's a bugger. Some are 50 yr old non-fruit trees in the park, but they're planning on cutting into land at the block where the orchard is planted and taking 3 trees out.

Are these young fruit trees AD? if so, I doubt that you could get a TPO on them anyway.

[alldigging]

They've been in 14 years.

They were presumably a few years old when they were planted. It was a project I was involved in - it's an urban orchard about 10-15 minutes walk from the centre of Manchester. Funded as part of the Greening Greater Manchester and Red Rose Forest project.

There's a medlar and walnut, hazlenut as well as more traditional fruit trees.

[veggiechicken]

Discuss it with the council AD. TPOs protect trees that have "significant amenity value". Can you object to the development through the normal planning route?

[alldigging]

Discuss it with the council AD. TPOs protect trees that have "significant amenity value". Can you object to the development through the normal planning route?

Is there anything to stop me objecting even though I live 5 miles away?
It's my friend who lives there still.

I think they offer a "significant amenity value"

[veggiechicken]

Anyone can object to a planning application. Get your friend to draw up a petition to protect the trees - get some publicity in the local press - refer to the destruction of trees that were planted as a public amenity .........you can come up with the reasons why they should be protected

[alldigging]

I'd done him a press release and he's working on objections to the planning stuff too for other reasons.

I've sent off an email to the council about TPO and am drafting my letter to them