TPO TREES

[Gimpee]

I love my oak tree but it's dangerous and 30m high within 10m from house. When bought house it wasn't Tpo as garden large I submitted planning permission to build another property initially for my son and family but also for me so I had support when I got older neighbours didn't like it so engaged council to put tpo on tree so I couldn't build. As tree tpo it costs thousands to have it pruned I don't feel its fair that council can apply order without engaging with me nor that I have to pay for upkeep it costs me more on insurance too.

It shouldn’t cost more to maintain, you just need planning permission to do so. If it is dangerous it shouldn’t be too onerous to get it.

Because its got tpo you have to employ tree surgeon to get council to agree to pruning so cost excessive I am just coming up to retirement age so how on pension could I afford this

Tree surgeons normally manage the whole process of permission for you. I’m assuming you weren’t planning on trimming it yourself?

We have trees with a TPO. No, the council don't charge, but they insist on a formal report written by a qualified tree surgeon which always costs a few hundred pounds on top of the tree surgeon's charges for trimming the trees. If there is no formal/professional report, then permission is automatically refused!

You have to pay the council to apply for planning permission to trim, whether you pay the tree surgeon to request pp or do it yourself, it's an extra £300 or whatever on top of the actual cost of pruning.

It means we tend to apply for all the trees in the garden at the same time on the same application to save money.

Because its got tpo you have to employ tree surgeon to get council to agree to pruning so cost excessive I am just coming up to retirement age so how on pension could I afford this

10 years back I cut down 8 fir trees branch by branch my grandson always thought it funny nanny in tree I can't do this now I just think if council put tpo on tree they should support upkeep

But it is not as if you need to do this every year. Pp is good for three years.

It's 2k or more every three years extra on insurance I am just coming up to being pensioner so it's not affordable or shall I just starve go without heating to save oak tree when in fields backing onto my house developers are allowed to cut them down willy nilly

So what do you propose? Have you tried to get the TPO lifted or discussed with the Tree officer at the council or involved your councillor? You might even be able to fell it assuming it is in poor condition overall if you replaced with another.

The only way of challenging the TPO itself is by judicial review and it sounds like you’re way out of time for that - within 12 weeks max of the date of the order. Your best hope is to try and get the council to lift the TPO but if they don’t or won’t, you will either have to pay up or move house.