The Sycamore Gap Tree
The Sycamore Gap tree or Robin Hood tree was a sycamore tree standing next to Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland. The tree grew in a dramatic dip in the landscape created by glacial meltwater and was described as one of the most photographed trees in the country.
But on the morning of 28 September 2023, the tree was felled. Initially locals thought that the tree had come down as a result of a storm, however, the authorities said they believed it was done deliberately and a result of a deliberate act of vandalism". The individuals responsible are likely to be charged under criminal damage of the Northumberland National Park’s property.
Trees and their Importance
Climate change, being environmentally friendly, thinking carefully about our carbon footprint is at the forefront of our minds, but for many years, across the continents, there have been concerns about the way in which trees are treated.
Trees act as a filter, trapping dust and absorbing pollutants from the air and each individual tree removes up to 1.7 kilos every year. They are also an excellent form of noise reduction and provide shade from solar radiation.
Research has shown that trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow and the carbon that they store in their wood helps slow the rate of global warming. They reduce wind speeds and cool the air as they lose moisture and reflect heat upwards from their leaves. It’s estimated that trees can reduce the temperature in a city by up to 7°C.
Tree Preservation Orders were introduced so that local planning authorities could protect specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands.
Tree Preservation and Planning
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Tree Preservation Orders
What is it ?
A Tree Preservation Order is made by local planning authorities in England to protect specific trees or groups of trees / woodlands in the interest of amenity.
It prohibits
- Cutting down
- Topping
- Lopping
- Uprooting
- Wilful damage
- Wilful destruction
Trees and their Importance to the Environment
What is a Tree Preservation Order?
A Tree Preservation Order is an order made by a local planning authority in England to protect specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands in the interests of amenity. An Order prohibits the:
-
cutting down
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topping
-
lopping
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uprooting
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wilful damage
-
wilful destruction
of trees without the local planning authority’s written consent. If consent is given, it can be subject to conditions which have to be followed. In the Secretary of State’s view, cutting roots is also a prohibited activity and requires the authority’s consent.
What are a tree owner’s responsibilities?
Owners of protected trees must not carry out, or cause or permit the carrying out of, any of the prohibited activities without the written consent of the local authority. As with owners of unprotected trees, they are responsible for maintaining their trees, with no statutory rules setting out how often or to what standard. The local planning authority cannot require maintenance work to be done to a tree just because it is protected. However, the authority can encourage good tree management, particularly when determining applications for consent under a Tree Preservation Order. This will help to maintain and enhance the amenity provided by protected trees.