TPO`S

[Exeldama]

Thinking out loud. how have people found the local authorities when it comes to granting leave to do things.

Planning ahead i would want to remove some birch regeneration, and a few of those pesky Norway spruce and replant with odds and sods of natives that have been overlooked.

i think the wood was once a spruce and pine plantation for a while 9notwithstanding an area of coppice chestnut), would be good to give it a hand back to where it was once. there are now oaks coming through, which is nice, hazel,dogwood,scots pine,ash,maple,hornbeam.. but still searching for cherry and crab apple.

i talk to much... sooo planners.. ?

[RichardKing]

Talk to the Forestry Commission officer first.

[Binz]

yep, get the FC round, they will do a free visit to your wood and give advice/comment on your plans.

B

[tracy]

As far as I am aware, none of us have any problems, when we are doing things that are sensible! The FC are very happy to help and give advice. They are not trying to stop management happening, they are trying to protect woodlands from being destroyed. I think you will be fine! :-)

[John H]

Tree preservation orders are issued by local authorities and are not normally applied in woodlands. If you want to fell more than 3 cubic metre of timber in any quarter of a year , you have to have a felling licence issued by yhe FC. You are also allowed to do thinning as long as the diameter of the trees does not exceed , I think it is 4 inches. It really is best to get the FC Woodland officer to pay you a visit.

[James M]

Without a felling licence you can:

- Remove anything less than 8cm diameter at chest height (sapling - doesn't count as a tree), as well as anything, dead, dangerous or diseased.

- Cut 5 cubic metres (a skipful-ish) per calendar quarter, but you can only sell half of it.

5 cubic metres is a lot in terms of pine e.g. according to my FC tables :

- 20m tree, with a 20cm mid diameter only comes to 0.63 cubic metres - that's a lot of tree. That's 8 trees per 5 cubic metres.

- 5 cubic metres is also 70 trees with a mid diameter of 15cm and 4m long.

- It takes 250 x 8cm trees, 4m long to make 5 cubic metres.

Unless you are taking down big broadleaves I doubt you'd need a separate felling licence esp. if you are working alone and without heavy plant/equipment.

[Exeldama]

Yes it was the local authorities i was concerned about.

Funnily enough my dad has a neighbour who is a thug and whom has massacered an area of trees protected by a TPO. Oaks that are aroun3-400 years old etc... the Local authorities response was "too late nothing we can do".

No..im just thinking of minor stuff to add to the wood, increase diversity etc.

Sounds like no-one has had a prob which is good.

[tracy]

Do get permission though, as you can be fined if you do something they don't like!

[BigAllan]

I agree with most above, except that woodlands or groups of trees in a woodland or not, can have TPO's on them.

There is sizable wood not far from me, which has TPO protection on it. If you are a legal woodland owner, you have any TPO written on your deeds & do not forget that anybody can apply, to their LA, for a TPO to be put on a tree or woodland, usually because of " amenity value". There is a maximum £20,000 fine for felling a TPO tree plus the cost of replacement, that's " per tree" . Your LA Tree Officer can help & guide you in all cases.

[tracy]

The woodlands.co.uk jargon buster blog says this:

TPO Tree Preservation Order. This protects trees over a defined area and means that where there is a TPO you will need the local authority’s permission to remove a tree or perform any tree surgery. However if you have a grant scheme which applies to your woodland (such as an English Woodland Grant Scheme) this will override the TPO.