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Leicester Tree Strategy Review

4. Managing the pressure on trees in others' ownership

Seek to preserve amenity afforded by trees when considering our response to tree work applications made under planning controls

Measured by	Lead responsibility	Current position
Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) review & revoke	Planning / Trees and Woodlands Team	LCC has 534 TPOs in place offering a level of amenity protection. 2022/23 works have been progressing on programs and procedures to revoke and renew TPOs as an ongoing project. It is expected that the revocation of outdated TPOs will start in 2023/24.
Revise policy to support tree preservation.	Planning	Pine Tree Avenue tree preservation strategy in place. In planning terms, the document represents informal guidance. It promotes the trees as a 'material consideration' when planning or assessing works that might affect their retention.

When assessing planning applications, take into account the effect on trees and protect them where the balance of factors favours preservation

Measured by	Lead responsibility	Current position
Consider all planning applications within timeframe.	Planning / Trees and Woodlands Team	2022/23 – 215 (all within timeframe).

Where landscaping that includes tree planting is made a condition of planning consent, incorporate quality design and specification

Measured by	Lead responsibility	Current position
Process to ensure conditions issued provide suitable design outputs.	Planning	All Planning consents issued seek to secure the standard and specification as requested by Trees and Woodlands officers. Where this cannot be negotiated the reasons are reported and recorded in the Decision Report.

Work directly with landowners and developers to support them with the management, inclusion and retention of trees affected by the planning process

Measured by	Lead responsibility	Current position
Number of planning consultations undertaken.	Planning	Planning consultations undertaken relating to TPO applications and notifications of trees in conservation areas. 2022/23 – 159 (all within timeframe). T&W offer British Standard 5837 surveys required to ensure all trees are considered as a material consideration for all planning applications (e.g. Great Central Way and Forest Road Education Centre). Planning, Development and Transportation & Urban Design work with each developer as part of the design process to ensure that existing landscape features can be retained, preserved, and enhanced with new design features.

Provide a 24/7 call out service ensuring a response to tree emergencies at any time

Measured by	Lead responsibility	Current position
100% of emergencies responded to within two-hour response	Trees and Woodlands Team	Responding to a range of situations (e.g. tree failure, road traffic accident. storms, etc). A total of 295 emergencies were responded to in 2022/23. 25 of these were out of hours.

Respond within 24 hours to reports of other contraventions, actionable nuisance and hazards and deal with these quickly and proportionately - making appropriate resources available

Measured by	Lead responsibility	Current position
Number of contraventions responded to within timeframe.	Planning	11 tree related claims received in 2022/23, and site visits undertaken. 73% were undertaken within 24 hours.

Be bound by the relevant planning practice guidance when managing protected tree regulations

Measured by	Lead responsibility	Current position
Consider planning enforcement action as required.	Planning	Eight cases in 2022/23 with no breaches. Two still under investigation. No action agreed in one case.

Objective 3. Responding to global obligations Objective 5. Delivering this strategy