Issue - meetings

To consider an objection to the provisional TPO and whether or not the TPO should be confirmed (made permanent).

Recommendation: that the Order should be confirmed.

The Committee was invited to consider confirmation of Tree Preservation Order 932 (The Court, Rickmansworth Road, Chorleywood).

The Principal Trees and Woodlands Officer reported that following the serving of the Order on 11 December 2024, one objection had been received.  This was based on the following four points: (i) that the TPO duplicated tree protection already in place, as the site was in the Chorleywood Common Conservation Area; (ii) that it would make future tree works more difficult as the removal of the smallest tree, which was not protected by conservation area status, would now require permission; (iii) that the owners of The Court ceased work on the site after being advised to by Council Officers; and (iv) that the incorrect form of TPO – an area order – was served, rather than using individual group or woodland categories.

The officer response to these points was that: (i) due to the works taking place to trees at The Court, officers considered it expedient to serve a TPO to formally recognise the public amenity value of the trees and strengthen the conservation area protection by ensuring that all trees, of whatever size or species, were protected; (ii) extending the protection to all trees should not make future tree works significantly more difficult, as the process of submitting a conservation area notification was essentially the same as a TPO tree works application; (iii) as outlined in the report, tree works at The Court had continued between November 2024 until around February 2025.  Officers had repeatedly advised the owner and workers on site, both verbally and in writing, to stop work and submit a conservation area notification; and (iv) government guidance advised that area TPOs could be used to rapidly protect all trees present on a site, although the guidance did advise that this form of TPO should be a temporary measure and should be replaced with a more specific TPO for long term protection.

The officer recommendation was that the order should be confirmed and TPO 932 made permanent.

A speaker on behalf of the site owner spoke against confirmation of the order.

Councillor Ciarán Reed and Parish Councillor Jon Bishop of Chorleywood Parish Council spoke in favour of confirmation of the order.

Committee Members asked questions about the detail of the order, the current status of the site, and actions which could be taken in the event that any trees were found to have been removed unlawfully.  These were responded to by officers.

Councillor Lloyd moved, and Councillor Gazzard seconded, confirmation of the order and on being put to the vote this was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: that Tree Preservation Order 932 (The Court, Rickmansworth Road, Chorleywood) be confirmed.