H&S – The Perfect Get Out Clause!

So...you want to cut down a tree, but there's one of those pesky tree preservation orders on it.

What to do?

Cllr Colin Jamieson, head of the planning committee at Christchurch said on Friday morning: "My committee put TPOs on the trees and it is clear that something has gone on in the meantime.

"I will be looking into what's happened."

He said he was "concerned" about the developments.

 Well, I'm glad he didn't claim to be surprised...

Neil Farmer, Strategic Director at Christchurch Borough Council, said: “We were contacted by the developer at the Cornfactor site last night as he was concerned about the state of two more trees whose roots had been uncovered close to the boundary of the development.

"Our tree officer went down to inspect the site at first light this morning and saw that the trees were indeed in a dangerous state.

"From a health and safety standpoint, the tree officer recommended felling the trees and I accepted this was necessary.

 How very convenient. And it's such a good excuse it can be used again and again and...

Residents and councillors have expressed their outrage after the two original trees in Druitt Gardens, protected by tree preservation orders, were cut down this week.

A community campaign, backed by more than 450 people in Christchurch, won over councillors earlier this year when members voted to save the Druitt Gardens trees after developers of the adjacent Cornfactor site had proposed felling seven trees. Their application was refused and tree preservation orders placed on the trees.

But on Wednesday, after an excavation ditch was dug along the boundary on the site, severing three roots, the trees were cut down by the council, who deemed them “unsafe”.

Ooopsie! I 'accidentally' cut the roots. My bad!

In their original statement, the council declined to mention the ditch which had been dug, saying the trees were a “danger to the public” and blamed the “extreme weather conditions” for the felling.

But after enquiries from the Daily Echo they re-issued a second response.

Well, I bet it'll quickly become the first response for all councils now. After all, it works...