Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a briefing note of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) on the current position in relation to the draft Trees and Development Guidelines Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). A copy of the SPD was attached as an Appendix to the report with a further Appendix providing a copy of the report and associated Appendices that was considered by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at his meeting on 9 December 2019 (his minute 9/19 refers).

The SPD was intended to provide technical guidance and support to the Green Environment policies set out in the Local Plan (2016) and also build upon some of the policies included in chapters relating to Conservation and Heritage and Environmental Management. The SPD, developed by the Council’s Planning Policy Team would provide a comprehensive overview of the requirements for applicants in the planning process where trees were involved. It is structured in a sequential order and covers supporting technical detail(s) around matters of:

•  Land Surveys.

•  Tree Surveys.

•  Tree Constraint Plans.

•  Arboricultural Method Statements.

•  Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees.

•  Works to trees.

•  Tree and root protection measures.

•  Planting new trees.

•  Accessing and moving around sites.

•  Avoiding damage to trees.

The SPD continued to expand upon and support the green environment policies with the changes made to reflect the comments received through rounds of consultation on 8th August 2018 to 23rd September 2018 and 7 January 2019 to 18 February 2019, and which further augment the tree protection, tree conservation and other related policies. The continued technical support and guidance provided within the document would help all stakeholders to understand the Council’s tree protection aims and objectives and help applicants to provide the correct information and assess the right areas where tree protection and planting measures would be required, as early as possible in the planning process. This would not only save time and money but would lead to stronger outcomes for green infrastructure in relation to planning decision making.

A final period of public consultation would seek formal representations to the SPD with all responses reviewed and the SPD updated if appropriate. The SPD would then be submitted to Cabinet for approval of its adoption, at the earliest opportunity in 2020.

The Board questioned officers, received responses, and discussed the following issues:

·  The robustness of the consultation - publicised through the Council’s Website, mail shots and email shots, including which groups responded.

·  The need to ensure that developers include tree planting in planning proposals.

·  Conditions on planning approvals relating to tree planting, to be enforced.

·  Encourage maximising tree planting to meet the Council’s aspiration of one tree for every Coventry citizen.

·  The use of the SPD as a material consideration.

·  Aspire to plant 2 trees for every tree removed during improvement works/planning developments in the City.

·  The need to establish a comprehensive set of requirements to offer protection to existing forestry as astringently as there should be.

·  In addition to trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders, options be explored to offer a form of protection to further trees.

·  The need for the Authority to introduce a robust form of assessment of existing trees, for use when considering planning proposals/ developments.

·  The need to tighten the enforcement process for tree protection.

·  Reference needs to be made to the Urban Forestry Strategy.

The Board agreed that the appropriate Cabinet Member be asked to consider the responsibility for forestry matters being co-ordinated by one Cabinet Member. They further agreed that the following comments on the draft Strategy be submitted as part of the consultation:

i)  The need to establish a comprehensive set of requirements to offer protection to existing trees as astringently as there should be.

ii)   The need for the Authority to introduce a robust form of assessment and protection of existing trees that don’t have Tree Preservation Orders, for use when considering planning proposals/ developments.

iii)  The need to tighten the enforcement process for tree protection.

iv)  The need to be prescriptive to developers on the number of new trees and planting required in new developments.

v)  Reference needs to be made to the Urban Forestry Strategy.

RESOLVED that the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3):

1)  Notes the content of the report.

2)  Identifies the following comments on the draft strategy as part of the consultation:

i)  The need to establish a comprehensive set of requirements to offer protection to existing trees as astringently as there should be.

ii) The need to introduce a robust form of assessment and protection of existing trees that don’t have Tree Preservation Orders, for use when considering planning proposals/ developments.

iii)  The need tighten the enforcement process for tree protection.

iv)  The need to be prescriptive to developers on the number of new trees and planting required in new developments.

v)  Reference needs to be made to the Urban Forestry Strategy.

3)  Identifies the following recommendations for the appropriate Cabinet Member:

1)  That consideration be given to the responsibility for forestry matters be co-ordinated by one Cabinet Member given the Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency.