"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 9/5/08 08:42, in article
,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article ,
says...
Steve Harris wrote:
In article ,
(Nick
Maclaren) wrote:

| When/how does a tree become a 'protected' tree - as in a tree that
| you're not allowed to cut down? Does the local council or whatever
| have to explicitly place a protection order on the tree or what?

Yes. And the owner of the property has a chance to object.

If the tree is in a "Conservation Area"

- You are not allowed to cut down ANY tree willy nilly

What's a tree? That was really the import of my original question,
when does a sapling become a tree? Obviously (I hope) we can clear a
two foot high oak sapling growing at the edge of our lawn but on the
other hand there must be some point at which it would become 'a tree'.


Trunk diametre about 6" in this area (I think its 15cm)

This is a helpful site:
http://www.naturenet.net/trees/tpo.htm
--
Sacha

and from that document :-

"Very helpful. The working definition, in line with ODPM guidance, is that
it should be a single-stemmed woody perennial plant. This can be a tiny
shoot as well as a full-grown tree.""

I was involved a couple of years back with a piece of land with a block /
total TPO on it. Even the little saplings were covered. We could do NOTHING.
Not until the TPO was re-written. This involved a visit from the TPO Officer
who examined the site and listed the trees to be preserved. These were then
drawn on a new plan and presented to us.

We then went ahead felling/clearing, only to be halted because the previous
block/total TPO had not been cancelled!!!

That took about a week.

Just my input.

TPO's are rather like the Data Protection Act ...... full of holes

Mike