In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 16/03/2012 13:59, stuart noble wrote:

Ok, thanks everyone. We already have a TPO on a sycamore, and a
eucalyptus, which are nothing special either.

That is the sort of use of TPO that brings the entire planning system
into disrepute. Sycamores are an invasive nuisance species and *should*
be felled. Eucalyptus are just spindly fast growing alien fire hazards
and anyone planting one deserves what they get.

Just as with almost all of the other species of land plant that are
called "invasive", "nuisance" or "alien", that statement is almost
entirely emotive.

The very concept of "native" versus "alien" makes almost no sense
for the British Isles, only a very few species of land plant reduce
biodiversity at all, and only one does over most of the places it
grows. Around here, walnuts are invasive, rather a nuisance,
definitely alien, and some have TPOs on.

You may well be right that TPOs are inappropriate for those trees,
but that will depend on the details. And, very often, the choice
is between those trees and no trees at all, now or in the future
(i.e. yet more concrete and asphalt).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.