Landmark Wokingham TPO made
Wokingham Borough Council’s tree team has made its 100th Tree Protection Order - TPO since it was expanded less than two years ago.
Hundreds more trees across Wokingham borough have been protected thanks to the work of the council’s tree preservation officer Sarah Duckworth, who was appointed in November 2005 and the tree and landscape team’s technical officer Ginny Parry. The addition of a dedicated officer to the team has allowed it to be proactive in seeking out trees that need to be protected and the 100th order was made at the Shinfield Park development the former Met Office site on Friday June 8.
TPOs can be made on individual trees, groups of trees or whole woodlands provided they meet certain criteria: the trees must be healthy and sound with a reasonable life expectancy and they must be visible from a public place. In certain circumstance any special historic or scientific characteristics can also be considered when assessing trees for inclusion in a TPO. Once a tree or group of trees come under a TPO it is illegal for them to be destroyed or for work to be carried out on them without special permission. Anybody who contravenes a TPO can face a fine of up to £20,000 per tree affected and be forced to replace all affected trees on a like-for-like basis. There are a total of 1,187 TPOs in place in the Wokingham borough.
Since the creation of the tree preservation officer’s role, Wokingham Borough Council has been able to react to members of the public’s concerns over trees that might be threatened by development before a planning application is made – in the past the council only had the resources to investigate threatened trees after planning applications were submitted, which was sometimes too late to prevent damage or removal. In the past two years the tree and landscaping team has been able to support the borough council’s Green Routes policy. These are major roads lined by significant trees that have now have increased protection thanks to the work of the tree and landscaping team.
Jon Matthews, the tree and landscaping team’s senior arboriculturist, said: “Sarah and Ginny’s work has made a tremendous difference and has allowed us to protect many more trees in the Wokingham borough than we would otherwise have been able to. In the Wokingham borough the most common important trees that need protection are the mature forest trees that line many main roads, such as oak, beech and Scot’s pine, but we also have other ornamental and landmark trees to consider.”
As well as protecting the trees themselves, TPOs also conserve any wildlife that uses the trees as its habitat and the tree team work closely with the council’s biodiversity officer Andy Glencross to ensure protected species are considered in TPO applications.
Mr Glencross said: “At least two of the trees here at Shinfield Park were around when Henry VIII used the site – they are a living link with history. It is fantastic that the trees and the vast array of rare wildlife associated with them have now gained the protection they deserve. It is a little known fact that 80 per cent of European veteran trees are within the UK. We have an international responsibility to preserve them here in Wokingham.”
The Shinfield Park site includes seven veteran oaks - several 100 years old - are be covered by the TPO.
Hundreds more trees across Wokingham borough have been protected thanks to the work of the council’s tree preservation officer Sarah Duckworth, who was appointed in November 2005 and the tree and landscape team’s technical officer Ginny Parry. The addition of a dedicated officer to the team has allowed it to be proactive in seeking out trees that need to be protected and the 100th order was made at the Shinfield Park development the former Met Office site on Friday June 8.
TPOs can be made on individual trees, groups of trees or whole woodlands provided they meet certain criteria: the trees must be healthy and sound with a reasonable life expectancy and they must be visible from a public place. In certain circumstance any special historic or scientific characteristics can also be considered when assessing trees for inclusion in a TPO. Once a tree or group of trees come under a TPO it is illegal for them to be destroyed or for work to be carried out on them without special permission. Anybody who contravenes a TPO can face a fine of up to £20,000 per tree affected and be forced to replace all affected trees on a like-for-like basis. There are a total of 1,187 TPOs in place in the Wokingham borough.
Since the creation of the tree preservation officer’s role, Wokingham Borough Council has been able to react to members of the public’s concerns over trees that might be threatened by development before a planning application is made – in the past the council only had the resources to investigate threatened trees after planning applications were submitted, which was sometimes too late to prevent damage or removal. In the past two years the tree and landscaping team has been able to support the borough council’s Green Routes policy. These are major roads lined by significant trees that have now have increased protection thanks to the work of the tree and landscaping team.
Jon Matthews, the tree and landscaping team’s senior arboriculturist, said: “Sarah and Ginny’s work has made a tremendous difference and has allowed us to protect many more trees in the Wokingham borough than we would otherwise have been able to. In the Wokingham borough the most common important trees that need protection are the mature forest trees that line many main roads, such as oak, beech and Scot’s pine, but we also have other ornamental and landmark trees to consider.”
As well as protecting the trees themselves, TPOs also conserve any wildlife that uses the trees as its habitat and the tree team work closely with the council’s biodiversity officer Andy Glencross to ensure protected species are considered in TPO applications.
Mr Glencross said: “At least two of the trees here at Shinfield Park were around when Henry VIII used the site – they are a living link with history. It is fantastic that the trees and the vast array of rare wildlife associated with them have now gained the protection they deserve. It is a little known fact that 80 per cent of European veteran trees are within the UK. We have an international responsibility to preserve them here in Wokingham.”
The Shinfield Park site includes seven veteran oaks - several 100 years old - are be covered by the TPO.
Wokingham Borough Council
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