Issue - meetings

Marlhill Copse referred felling licence application and associated Woodland Management Plan

Meeting: 23/02/2021 - Planning and Rights of Way Panel (Item 51)

51 Marlhill Copse referred felling licence application and associated Woodland Management Plan pdf icon PDF 449 KB

Report of the Head of City Services seeking permission to part consent and part refuse the referred felling licence and associated Woodland Management Plan for Marlhill Copse.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel considered a report of the Head of City Services detailing the referred felling licence application and accompanying woodland management plan for trees at Marlhill copse that are protected by a Tree Preservation Order and Conservation Are which have been registered as 20/00340/TPO. 20/00341/TPO and 20/00091/TCA.

 

Angela Cotton, Dr Isabel Sargent and Dr Neil Wells (local residents/ objecting), Steve Thurston, Mike Weeks, Hugh Milner and Jo Proctor (supporting the application) and Councillor Harwood (Ward Councillor) were present and with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

 

The Panel explored the reasoning for the officer recommendation (v), regarding the Monterey and Corsican Pines in compartment 1a(i).  Panel Members expressed a view that felling the trees would affect the character and appearance and special character of the Copse and voted to refuse to grant consent to fell these trees, as set out in the amended recommendation below.  Upon being put to the vote the Panel unanimously supported the remaining aspects of the officer recommendation as set out below. 

 

RESOLVED that the Panel after careful consideration of the officer’s report and hearing the submissions of those at the meeting, panel members voted:

(i)  To grant TPO consent to 20% thinning of sycamores and mixed broadleaf trees in compartments 1a, 1b and 1c.

(ii)  To raise no objection to 20% thinning of Goat Willow, Common Alder and mixed broadleaf trees in compartment 2a 

(iii)  To raise no objection to 20% thinning of Goat Willow, Common Alder and native broadleaf trees in compartment 2b. 

(iv)  To raise no objection to 20% thinning of Common Alder, Goat Willow and Ash trees in compartment 2c.

(v)  To refuse consent to felling of Monterey Pine, Corsican Pine in compartment 1a(i). 

(vi)  To refuse consent to the felling of all broadleaf trees in compartment 1a(i)

 

Panel Members considered that the refusal to grant consent to the felling of the Monterey Pines and Corsican Pines in compartment 1a(i) was justified because the loss of the trees would fail to secure the maintenance of the special character of the woodland, would be harmful to the visual amenities of the local area and would fail to preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area.  The reasons for the other decisions followed the officer’s report