Planning permission tree survey get around?

[mbga9pgf]

Hi all,

Recently put in pp to erect a new boundary fence which is very slightly higher than the existing fence and about 5m longer. (Total panel fence will be around 50 metres).

The council have come back and said I need to get a tree survey as there are a number of trees within 2metres of the development. However, all these planning charges (about a third of the materials cost if I get this rediculous guardian reading tree hugged survey done) are now starting to significantly add up and I'm tempted to cut and grub out the trees (overgrown hawthorn) which, as explained on the planning permission, are in poor condition, wood worm eaten and covered in ivy and will be rmoved and therefore not going to affect the installation of the boundary fence.

We have no tree preservation order and are not liable to the hedges preseravation law introduced in 2007, so what is to stop me cancelling my pp request, chopping the trees down that are a potential problem, and reapplying?

Seems to me the council are playing silly buggers over a couple of dying trees that were always going to be removed anyhow.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Why does your fence need planning permission? Higher than 2m? On the road side?

 

[rjm2k]

probably has no PD

 

[tony1851]

@OP.
A tree survey will cost you silly money - council officials just like the power-trip of ordering you to spend a shed-load of money to no useful purpose.

Just withdraw it and cut the b*****s down and then re-apply.

 

[mbga9pgf]

@OP.
A tree survey will cost you silly money - council officials just like the power-trip of ordering you to spend a shed-load of money to no useful purpose.

Just withdraw it and cut the b*****s down and then re-apply.

Thought so. Going to ring up to discuss, there are a few other genuine issues with the application block plan but I'm not paying 300 quid for Bellamy to find a bat nest that's going to get in the way of my fence line.

Fence is over 1 metre on an A-road.

Will be getting the sthil MS290 out next week and sorting myself some new firewood. They need to go anyway tbh, bit of a pain that we will have a big gap on our boundary but needs must.

 

[luisdesign]

If you've got a gardener then you might be able to just get him over and have him name the trees. You can do this yourself if you really enjoy pouring over tree books and matching twigs to pictures.

Then just dot them approximately on your OS map.

I can't believe that they are requesting this and cant see how this is relevant to the applicaiton for a new fence (and a timber one at that!!?)

Have they invalidated your application because of this or are they simply asking for extra info?

 

[tony1851]

I can't believe that they are requesting this and cant see how this is relevant to the applicaiton for a new fence (and a timber one at that!!?)

I can. It's because the thicko's in admin. don't know any better. They just Google the site, see a few trees, and assume the planning officer dealing with it will want to know.
The fact that it will cost the applicant £££ to no useful purpose whatsoever is neither here nor there.

 

[rjm2k]

They just Google the site, see a few trees, and assume the planning officer dealing with it will want to know.

In which case, cutting them down won't have any effect until Google update their images! Unless the OP can just say "no trees" and they believe it over what they see on Google.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

He's got you there Tony!

 

[tony1851]

They just Google the site, see a few trees, and assume the planning officer dealing with it will want to know.

In which case, cutting them down won't have any effect until Google update their images! Unless the OP can just say "no trees" and they believe it over what they see on Google.

Well, if he cut them down, but the dimwits in the planning department still insist they are there because of what they see on a monitor in the office, then the OP would have grounds for an appeal for non-validation of the application.

But before it got to that, most likely someone in planning would actually get off their ar*e to come out and check, otherwise the LPA could be liable for the costs of an appeal.