Neighbours concerned about the threat to a lone tree on Hove seafront are asking councillors to intervene.
Mr and Mrs Leslie, who live next door to Medina House in Sussex Road, want to remove the fruit tree in their back yard to make way for a side extension.
But their application for the extension was turned down both by council planners and on appeal, partly because of the loss of the tree.
However, the council aboriculturalist Paul Davey said that as the tree can’t be seen from the road it does not qualify for a tree preservation order.
A new application to remove the tree has now been submitted – and their neighbour Neil Williams is going before tomorrow’s full council meeting to ask why it’s not been protected [Thursday, 25 March].
He asks why the council supports the destruction of a “much-loved” tree in the Cliftonville Conservation area to “pave the way” for a planning application refused by both the Planning Committee and at appeal.
Mr Williams says removing the tree would contravene the council’s Local Plan and go “against the grain” of environmental research.
He said: “This tree is not enjoyed by a ‘few residents’.
“We have 15 or so neighbours who have stated they either enjoy the tree or the wildlife it attracts.”
In August 2020, the Planning Committee refused the application single-storey side extension to 12 Sussex Road because it would result in overlooking and a “detrimental” impact on the tree.
Planning inspector H Miles also agreed the tree was “highly valued” by the community and had “amenity value”, which would be damaged if the tree went.
The current planning application, which Mr Williams and his neighbours were not initially aware of, was submitted in February,
The application said: “My client wishes to remove the tree as it is inappropriately planted within an extremely small courtyard.
“It has been planted within a planter right up next to the garden boundary wall.
“It is far too close to the wall and the house, and we fear that it will cause damage to both, as well as to below ground pipework, by the roots.”
The householders and their planning agent submitted no documents with the application. The householders’ agent was approached for comment.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s meeting is webcast on its website from 4.30pm on Thursday 25 March.
Since the applicants emphasise the smallness of the courtyard, it follows it is too small to take YET ANOTHER extension to the property, already extended to the max by previous owner Karron Eubank!
Leave the tree alone! It is a rare bit of greenery so close to the sea & it brings a lot of birds to it, proving its wildlife corridor value too.
Every tree is precious now because of the climate change emergency. Too, the birdsong & lovely green canopy of this happy littlle tree are something everyone within sight & hearing who live & use the yards of Victoria Cottages & Sussex Rd also benefit from within their outlook.
And anybody who strolls along the twitten.
Such a beautiful 🌲 Let’s hope that it gets saved!
Its a fruit tree. Its not covered by any preservation order. They should have cut it down before the planning application.
Leave the tree alone it’s benn there for over 20 years not harming any one. …and all enjoy it. Also these owners are based in London this is a 2nd home and they break lockdown by coming down here in dark night time staying at weekend s and go Ona Sunday night back to there main home. Don’t destroy some thing which gives pleasure to all
They pave paradise and put up a parking lot! Now more than ever we need our trees- what a lovely looking tree! Please Brighton and Hove Council,, step in and stop this madness!!
Someone needs to take the Hove Borough Council Tree Strategy, adopted in February 1997, out of the filing-cabinet!
Because, at merger-time on 1 April 1997, Brighton Borough Council did not have a similar policy, and no new Tree Strategy appears to have been adopted by our City Council, it’s the 1997 Hove Strategy which now regulates tree issues all across Brighton, Hove, and Portslade.
From memory the Hove policy, quite rightly, values ALL trees in the urban area, visible ‘from the public highway’ or not?
Perhaps the arboriculturist concerned was not in post in 1997, and perhaps his superiors have failed to ensure that all City Council arboriculturists are adequately trained in what most of those who’ve read it readily agree is an excellent Tree Strategy?
A positive reminder of the halcyon days when Hove Borough Council did nearly everything to a high professional standard, and very efficiently and economically too!
Thank you BAHTAG! I have a copy in the files & just tweeted its’ cover. Will tweet content tomorrow!