Trees and hedgerows policy

The trees and hedgerows policy can be found below.

Vision

A Borough where trees, and hedgerows are valued for the significant contribution they make to wellbeing and quality of life within the area. Trees, and hedgerows are managed to promote biodiversity, climate mitigation, and visual amenity whilst being safe and healthy.

Objectives

• To ensure that the Council’s tree stock is maintained in a safe and healthy condition and minimise associated health and safety risks.
• To provide appropriate levels of information and advice to the public on the Council’s tree stock.
• To identify and ensure appropriate management of hedgerows which are important for biodiversity, as wildlife corridors or as landscape features.
• To minimise the health and safety risks of the Council’s trees.
• To effectively manage the positive contribution made by trees and hedgerows to open spaces.
• To identify opportunities to create new hedgerows and appropriate tree planting schemes including community orchards.

Policies

a) Charnwood Borough Council will continue to carry out its rolling programme of tree inspections by independent experts together with associated remedial programme of work.

b) The Council will respond positively to tree matters involving safety (including highway safety) and will remove dead, dying (except where biodiversity issues prevail) and dangerous and unsafe trees and branches.

c) Where it can be demonstrated that a tree is the primary cause of direct damage to property the Council will act to rectify the problem. In cases of damage to property it must be clearly demonstrated that the tree is the principal cause of the damage. (The effects of tree litter such as leaves, twigs, fruit etc will not be considered as direct damage).

d) The Council will not prune its tree stock to alleviate the obstruction of light or telecommunication signals or where branches overhang neighbouring properties.

e) The Council may carry out work on trees in response to its development priorities. Development priorities may include site or neighbourhood redesign, the redevelopment of parks, gardens and other green spaces, or woodland management schemes.

f) The Council will consider accepting sponsorship for tree work only where this has been identified as good arboricultural practice.

g) The Council will work with partners and community groups to identify opportunities to increase its tree stock through appropriate tree planting.

h) There will be a presumption against removal of existing hedgerows and appropriate management systems will be put into place in order to protect and enhance the quality and condition of hedgerows.

i) The Council will consider planting new, species rich, native hedgerows in appropriate locations to meet a variety of objectives, including habitat creation, the screening of unsightly development, the provision of shelter and the enhancement of the landscape.

j) In planting or adopting hedgerows or tree belts, the Council will be sensitive to the potential for damage or inconvenience, or impeding access as they mature causing by planting in close proximity to other structures. In addition, the Council will recognise and take positive action to prevent the potential conflict of interest where developments are proposed in close proximity to existing trees, treebelts and wooded areas.