In its role as the Local Planning Authority, Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) ensures adequate provision for the preservation and planting of trees when granting planning permission, by making Tree Protection Orders (TPOs) and imposing conditions requiring protective measures and landscaping as appropriate.
MVDC has a number of policies that deal with trees, landscaping and sustainable green infrastructure. These include saved Local Plan Policy ENV53 - Trees in the Built-up Areas
Core strategy policies that relate to trees and development are:
The Core Strategy can be downloaded from this page.
The National Planning Policy Framework, which includes a section on 'Conserving and enhancing the natural environment', can be viewed on the Government website using the link on this page.
Trees are particularly vulnerable to damage on development sites. They may be affected either immediately if removal or pruning is necessary to accommodate a development, or in the longer term as a result of disturbance during the development process. There may also be demands to remove or prune trees from the occupants of new buildings. Given the benefits that trees provide from an amenity, and more general environmental perspective, MVDC tries to ensure that an appropriate balance is struck between the need and desire for further development within the District, with the impact that this may have on trees and the landscape.
In considering development on any site, all trees, whether protected or otherwise, along with large shrubs, hedges and screening, must be given proper consideration at an early stage. As such, all trees and significant boundary screening should be indicated on proposals plans along with landscaping. This may take the form of a full tree impact assessment produced by a specialist tree consultant, including constraints plans and tree protection method statements in accordance with the current British Standard 5837 (Trees in Relation to Construction - Recommendations) or, on a very small site, might be incorporated into the design and access statement.
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