Concerned about trees
SIR - I read Cara Louise Trimarco s letter about trees being cut down on the escarpment at Northam/Westward Ho! with concern and contacted our tree officer at Torridge District Council. The whole escarpment does have a woodland Tree Preservation Order [T
SIR - I read Cara Louise Trimarco's letter about trees being cut down on the escarpment at Northam/Westward Ho! with concern and contacted our tree officer at Torridge District Council.
The whole escarpment does have a woodland Tree Preservation Order [TPO] which means that no felling or pruning can be done without permission.
The felling in this case was around where permission has been given for development at the old hotel that burned down. Unfortunately planning policies from successive central governments aren't always strong enough to protect trees.
I'm not at all happy about this and do my best to encourage development to include existing mature trees and hedging in the layout and design but sometimes I'm overidden by policies I didn't write and can't refute. Our tree officer has done a very good job in protecting trees in some development applications particularly where they are bigger, individual trees..
In the Local Development Framework [LDF] which is the next local plan for our area, setting out where development will take place and in what way, we are able to introduce stronger policies protecting and adding to wildlife corridors which are called Green Infrastructure [GI].
This hopefully means we will keep and protect more native hedges and trees which are great for wildlife and also enhance peoples' homes - our well-being is improved by living near green space. We also want better design and more eco-housing which the government is now encouraging.
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There will be consultation on the policies for the LDF in September/October and I know they can seem boring and long winded but PLEASE do get involved and respond to them, they are about the future of our beautiful area. We will do our best to make the consultations accessible but we need YOU to respond.
Miranda Cox, Northam Ward Town
and District Councillor, Chair of the LDF group.
