Guide to planning applications

What did you do?

What to do if there is a planning application to fell a ‘protected tree’ (a tree or trees in a Conservation Area or with a Tree Preservation Order, TPO) or for a development which requires the removal of a tree or trees.

This is just a guide and is not exhaustive.

  • If the tree/trees threatened are not currently protected by a Tree Preservation Order, request one immediately – read our guide to TPOs here.
  • Start a local campaign! Read our guide to starting a local campaign here! And get press attention and consider taking legal advice.
  • If you need more information, do a Freedom of Information request (FOI), an easy way to do that is using What Do They Know.
  • Write to your ward councillors and MP, the easiest way to do this is using Write To Them. Ask them to facilitate a conversation between residents and the landowner/applicant. Also ask them to object to the application.
  • Encourage as many people as possible as you can to object to the application. The best objections contain issues which the council will consider to be ‘material considerations’.
  • Is it being considered by planning officers ie a ‘delegated decision’ or planning committee made up of ward councillors? If it is being considered by officers, then ask a local councillor to ‘call it in’ to the planning committee (this should be done while the application is open to comments). Ask your councillor to speak on your behalf at the planning meeting and elect someone to speak at the meeting for you. You must ask for permission to speak well in advance of the meeting - check your local deadline. 
  • Compile all evidence and objections you have and email all members of the planning committee the week before the planning meeting.
  • If there is an officers’ report, check the details are correct. You can write to the Planning Officer and ask them questions. Do not assume information in an officers’ report is correct.

Possible areas to challenge are:

  • The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessment – these are complicated and are not always done correctly. Most developments will require a BNG. Try and find someone with experience in these assessments. You might be able to calculate it correctly and demonstrate a loss. Watch this presentation by Mark Ashdown of the Bristol Tree Forum and check the resources on their website for more info on BNG. If the assessment is incorrect contact the Planning Officer (PO). If no action by PO, complain to Monitoring Officer.
  • Check the Tree Equity score of the area the tree is in? If the area is already deficient in canopy cover, mention this.
  • The arboricultural report might play down the condition of the trees. If you think it’s incorrect, consider getting a second opinion from an expert, although be aware, a council may not consider your expert to be better than the expert employed by the developer.
  • Check that it complies with your local and national policy (including the National Planning Policy Framework). If you think that it does not, mention this in your objection and you might be able to find areas of policy non-compliance which are overlooked. These are your best chance of getting an application refused.
  • Also check if similar applications have been refused – on what grounds? Was it in a more affluent area?
  • Check mitigation is adequate (should be on planning application and/or ecology report). If not, complain to Planning Officer. If no response from the Planning Officer, contact the Monitoring Officer.

For more advice you might want to read The Woodland Trust's guide on objecting to a planning application.