What permission to cut down a tree?

[Dee Woffaz]

I came home from work last night to find my beloved tree and home to many squirrels had been cut down. I live in a private block with a beautiful garden. The tree was my only privacy from the road and the top deck of the Crystal Palace bus that passes every 15 minutes. I rang the management company this morning and apparently the insurance company had instructed it to be removed. The tree wasnt close to the building or the road. Do you need planning permission etc to take down a tree?

[edcam]

If you live in a conservation area, permission must be sought from the council. If a tree has a preservation order on it, ditto. In both cases, if the tree represents a threat in terms of damaging foundations etc. then permission will be given but sounds like this isn't the case where you are.

If you're not in a conservation area and if the tree had no T.P.O. then your management company are within their rights.

[Penguin68]

Some boroughs (I don't know whether Southwark is one) place an 'automatic' preservation order on all trees above a certain girth - on the basis that they are (or must be, at that size) an established part of the environment and would need council permission to be removed. Sometimes this order reflects only trees that are visible from roads, or other areas with public access. This is separate from 'conservation areas' I believe. This sort of blanket authority is clearly more cost effective than having to assess individual preservation orders tree by tree.

[edcam]

He, he.... you said "girth"!

[i*Rate]

Deewoffaz,

I'm sorry to hear about your tree, you have been rather unlucky there. If the tree had been planted by the council on the pavement near your house then it would certainly have been left alone, just like the one that has been wrecking the front of my house for the past few years.

Unfortunately, in spite of my insurance company 'dealing with the case' for past two years (premiums for that period ?1,500) there has been no action by the council. I was told that they were going to cut it back in January, then that it was being taken down by the end of June (Thursday - no sign of notices or tree surgeons). Meanwhile, the cracks in the front room are getting bigger and the front of the house looks a mess because I can't redecorate until this is resolves.

Southwark puts big financial values of their trees once they're established, ever thought they're the wrong type for the place where they've planted them!

What next - find a tree assassin?

[Dee Woffaz]

-- moved topic --

[maxxi]

Tree Harvey Oswald?

[i*Rate]

Maxxi,

Remember that film; 'Day of the Hackall' - mind you, I think that was about someone who 'took out' hedgerows and shrubbery.

And of course there's the recent; 'Eat, Pray, Lop', Julia Roberts as a municipal council worker in leafy Rome. Shame that did'nt get released, but her other one of similar title was quite successful. Look out for her latest film with Tom Hanks in which she plays someone poor, but with perfect teeth - imagine that!

[Dee Woffaz]

Apparently My neighbour lodged the compaint that it was causing his house to subsude..... its much nearer our block than his house. i suspect he didnt like the leaves or sycamore seeds on his car or in his garden!:(

[Cam123]

According to my little chart from some subsidence advisory group or other, sycamores should be planted at over 17 meters away from your house in order to ensure they can't mess with your foundations. If you're in a block it may have considerably larger foundations than a single house, esp. if the house is old and the block is new - sorry, but personally i'd prefer to be you with a bad view than your neighbour with subsidence!

Shame you weren't consulted - i think trimming them back can work as a solution to reduce root growth?