Conflict of interests

[vivienz]

I had a soil survey done on the new site last week and it confirmed that we're on mostly clay; the results have been sent for analysis to find out whether it's shrinkable or not.

 

The new house will be next to a lane and separating the curtilege from the lane is a double hedgerow.  The arboricultural report stated that we should keep the inner hedgerow in place during construction as sacrificial root protection for the outer hedgerow, and then remove it once everything is done.  However, the soil chap said that the inner hedgerow should be removed ASAP and, in particular, before it starts coming back to life in the spring as it's mostly hawthorn and will be very thirsty, which will make construction difficult on the clay ground after it has sucked all the water out of it.

 

So, ideally, I'd like to get a digger in there ASAP to drag out the inner hedge, but don't want to fall foul of the PP conditions.  Currently, development and everything is waiting on a licence from Natural England to do a supervised, soft demolition of the roof as it's a confirmed summer roost for bats.  We should have that back by mid March.

 

Any suggestions as to a course of action that won't jeopardise the new house or the planning people?

 

[joe90]

I have a single hedge and had to provide a 1 mtr root protection zone which I did with posts and sheep fencing, I don’t see why you can’t ask the council to allow you to remove the hedge ON THE ADVISE OF GROUND CONDITION EXPERTS and provide a root protection zone with fencing.

[Ferdinand]

Get the treeman to add an addendum to his report if you need it to say something different.

 

Or you write something weighing it up and coming to your desired conclusion.

 

Do you have a Planning Condition on this hedge? What is the full wording? DO you have to go for an amendment? IF they conflict have you submitted both to the Council? If so, why were you unable to reconcile them first?

 

In either case you need that hedge out before it is full of nests. IF the Planning Conditions do not stop you, do it asap. IF the Plannign Conditions do stop you, then we perhaps need to help you take a view.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited February 19, 2018 by Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

I suppose you could prune your inner hedge to 6 inches i.e. twigs, as a middle way, perhaps after explaning why to your tree man if he has a supervisory brief. THough I guess he might flounce. THat would stop the birds and probably reduce the water taken up.

 

Ferdinand

Edited February 19, 2018 by Ferdinand

[vivienz]

Thanks, all. The inner hedge is being temporarily retain only for root protection of the outer hedge, so as long as we provide this, I guess it shouldn't be a problem. The planning consent said only to take more of the eco recommendations. I will get the hedge dealt with along with all the others this weekend.

The soil report chap said that he would add a forceful note to his report that the hedge must come out, so there's plenty of help on it.

[nod]

1 hour ago, vivienz said:

I had a soil survey done on the new site last week and it confirmed that we're on mostly clay; the results have been sent for analysis to find out whether it's shrinkable or not.

 

The new house will be next to a lane and separating the curtilege from the lane is a double hedgerow.  The arboricultural report stated that we should keep the inner hedgerow in place during construction as sacrificial root protection for the outer hedgerow, and then remove it once everything is done.  However, the soil chap said that the inner hedgerow should be removed ASAP and, in particular, before it starts coming back to life in the spring as it's mostly hawthorn and will be very thirsty, which will make construction difficult on the clay ground after it has sucked all the water out of it.

 

So, ideally, I'd like to get a digger in there ASAP to drag out the inner hedge, but don't want to fall foul of the PP conditions.  Currently, development and everything is waiting on a licence from Natural England to do a supervised, soft demolition of the roof as it's a confirmed summer roost for bats.  We should have that back by mid March.

 

Any suggestions as to a course of action that won't jeopardise the new house or the planning people?

 

If you are on a strip foundation 

The easiest and cheapest way to protect the house foundation from heave when the ground ssriinks

is to add a layer of low density polystyrene (clay board ) prior to pouring the concrete 

I’m surrounded by hedges and trees and have done this even around the garages 

[Russell griffiths]

Bare in mind if you are going to remove this hedge then in theory it should go by March the first before any nesting birds start. 

If after this date you will need to provide evidence that you have checked and there are none present or in the process of building. 

GET IT OUT NOW. 

[Nickfromwales]

13 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Bare in mind if you are going to remove this hedge then in theory it should go by March the first before any nesting birds start. 

If after this date you will need to provide evidence that you have checked and there are none present or in the process of building. 

GET IT OUT NOW. 

Yup. 1000%. 

Just hack it back now to 12" of growth ASAP or you may be Donald Ducked. 'Pruning' is fine . I'd be on the phone now. 

Also, a bit of a drift, but can you take preemptive measures against the bats now, eg pump every nook and cranny of the existing roof with nylon render mesh / foam and seal it up tight. ?

[vivienz]

I have my brush cutter at the ready. It's only this one inner hedge that I need to sort out as I've already arranged for the rest of them to be done at the weekend.

All comments noted, though, and sound advice.

[Jeremy Harris]

FWIW, and by no means a suggestion of the correct and proper action to take, the very first thing I did when we completed the purchase of our plot, before I submitted our planning application, was to fell all the trees...................

 

I took the view that this was removing a significant risk, and that as the trees were not (at that time) in a Conservation Area, and didn't (yet) have TPOs on them, the worst that could happen would be that a few people had a moan (which they duly did).  The fact that some people had a moan led me to believe that if the trees had still been there when we submitted our planning application someone would have slapped a TPO on them, just to but an obstacle in our way.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

Bare in mind if you are going to remove this hedge then in theory it should go by March the first before any nesting birds start. 

If after this date you will need to provide evidence that you have checked and there are none present or in the process of building. 

GET IT OUT NOW. 

 

Forgot about the date.

 

+968 on do the deed by the end of Feb. There is an off season for treemen due to les oiseaux. I remember a huge debate about when it should finish - I think in about end of August vs end of September.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited February 19, 2018 by Ferdinand

[Temp]

The planning condition is to protect the front hedge row so the planners may want an alternative method of protection in place if you remove it.  If you want to keep the planners sweet I would ask them if you can amend the planning condition to allow you to remove the hedge and replace it with a "Tree Protection Barrier to BS 5837".

 

We were required to agree tree protection measures and if I remember correctly we wrote a "Tree Protection Method Statement" which amounted to a site plan with a line in red ink where a temporary barrier would go and a one paragraph note stating that the barrier would be a "Tree Protection barrier to BS 5837".

 

Google found that BS standard here...

https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/idoxWAM/doc/Other-1592559.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=1592559&location=Volume2&contentType=application/pdf&pageCount=1

 

However we didn't actually build the barrier exactly as described in the BS. We just used whatever scaffolding poles and boards we had to hand. Nobody ever came and said it wasn't quite right construction.

 

Edit: It might sound like a lot of work writing Method Statements and the like but it took us only a few moments and it ticked all the right boxes with the planners.

 

Edited February 19, 2018 by Temp

[vivienz]

Thanks again, all. I will get the inner hedge down this weekend. The trees that were near the house were taken out a while ago so it's just the hedge left.

Brush cutter at the ready!