Hefty fines intended to safeguard country's natural monuments
The passing of a new Planning Bill today (23 March 2011) signals a brighter outlook for Northern Ireland’s natural heritage, says conservation charity the Woodland Trust.
The new legislation gives welcome recognition to the country’s precious and veteran trees by more than trebling the current fine for the destruction of a protected tree from £30,000 to £100,000.
For over a decade, the Woodland Trust has been calling for changes to planning legislation, in particular the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) system.
Patrick Cregg, the Woodland Trust’s director, said: “Tree Preservation Orders are intended to protect individual trees or groups of trees from damage or destruction. Unfortunately, the system isn’t as effective as it should be, and we’ve been lobbying for change for years. We’re delighted that our main asks have finally been taken onboard.
“The new legislation, and the shift of power from Planning Service to local councils, will strengthen the current TPO system. We’ll see, for example, a welcome and significant increase in the maximum fine for breaching a TPO. In addition, members of the public will have easy access to local records, allowing them to check if a tree is in fact protected.”
The Woodland Trust welcomes the following amendments:
1. An increase in the maximum fine for breach of a Tree Preservation Order from £30,000 to £100,000.
2. Each local council will have a duty to compile a database of all trees designated with TPOs. This information will be accessible to members of the public.
3. Currently trees with TPO status which are deemed ‘dead’, ‘dying’ or have become ‘dangerous’ can, with consent, be lawfully felled. The decision to remove the ‘dying’ clause means heightened protection for our precious ancient trees. This is noteworthy as species such as oak can spend hundreds of years in graceful decline.
4. The designation ‘Conservation Area’ will be widened to include areas of special historic interest. In the past, this designation applied to buildings only.
Mr Cregg concluded: “The Woodland Trust receives calls each week from anxious members of the public, expressing concerns over trees under threat. We’re confident that today’s news will put our significant trees on a more secure footing. It’s good news for people, for wildlife and for the future of our natural environment.”
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
Kaye Coates at the Woodland Trust’s Bangor Office on 028 9127 5787; email kayecoates@woodlandtrust.org.uk or
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121; email media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.
Here in Northern Ireland the Woodland Trust cares for 51 woods. These woods contain a mix of recently planted woodland, mature woodland and ancient woodland (that’s land continuously wooded since at least 1600). We have recently produced the first-ever comprehensive record of Northern Ireland’s ancient woodland; find out more at www.backonthemap.org.uk