Tree Preservation in Oxton
Village (Note : This page doe not necessarily represent
the views of the Oxton Society)
Tree Preservation in Oxton
Village (Note : This page doe not necessarily represent
the views of the Oxton Society)
When
the Oxton Conservation area was designated such in 1979 one of the features
mentioned was the local trees. Within the area there are a number of trees
with preservation oredrs on them. At the AGM in 2001 of the Society a resolution
was passed to set up a number of sub committees, these included a tree
sub committee which meets on a monthly basis. They have a rule-of-thumb policy:
consider very carefully work on trees which are visible from a public right
of way and, in providing comments to the Planning Department, the group will
assess the amenity value of the tree for the local landscape.
Tree Preservation Orders.
The Planning Department is responsible for designating TPOs, but before it does so in the Conservation Area it seeks comments from the Oxton Society
At the start of 2002 Wirral Planning Department placed new tree preservation orders (TPOs) on a row of trees which line Shrewsbury Road. The trees are near the junction with Gerald Road, extending down Alton Road for a short distance, and at the front of numbers 34, 36 and 38 Shrewsbury Road When the committee considered the trees in Shrewsbury Road it was felt that this was an important group of trees to protect. They are on a major thoroughfare and at a prominent Junction. Improper work on these trees would damage their amenity value.
There is often a misunderstanding that TPOs prevent all work on trees. They don't. What they provide is legal protection from unauthorised work. They give the Council the ability to enforce the quality of the work on trees. There are fines imposed for unauthorised work. A tree with a TPO can be felled if the Council agrees (usually for safety reasons) but it can then require the planting of an appropriate replacement tree.
(source : Oxton Society newsletter February 2002)
The case of the Oxton Leylandii
The following article appeared in the February newsletter of the Oxton Society.
It's not often that Oxton issues appear in the Birkenhead News, the Daily Mail, and on BBC TV local news. But you may have seen these items or a petition about a tree in the Oxton Conservation Area. A resident applied for permission to chop down a tree in Village Road to find that the Wirral Planning Department placed a Tree Preservation Order (T70) on it.
The reason why this tree has become the basis of news stories it that it is a Leyland Cypress. To be accurate it is not a single tree but a tight clump of three trees growing as one. When grown as an unpruned hedge Leylandii is, indeed, a terrible menace. It is the fastest growing conifer in the UK and its growth rapidly outstrips its original space. As with most conifers it does not sprout from old wood so any pruning, other than. the lightest of trimming, leaves permanently dead exposed branches and twigs. It is good as a hedge only if it is kept lightly trimmed as soon as it reaches the desired size. It is impossible to undertake significant pruning of a leylandii without destroying its appearance.
However, as a specimen tree it is excellent. Because it is evergreen and upright, it makes a valuable contribution to an urban location.Hillier, the celebrated founders of a distinguished arboretum in Hampshire, described it as a "noble tree of dense columnar habit". And the lare Alan Mitchell, the authoritative and widely published expert on British trees, placed it in the highest category of 'garden worthiness', describing it as having "an excellent shape, health and foliage". He also noted that it is a "favourite roost and nesting site for many garden birds".
The tight group of three trees in Village Road is an excellent example of these characteristics. When this group was threatened, we were approached by local residents who pointed out that it was a fine shape and much appreciated for the wildlife that lived in it We agreed that this group of trees had an important amenity value in relation to the block of flats next door and to the tall house frontage at number 7. Its value is particularly evident when seen along Village Road from its Junction with Fairclough Lane and when viewed up from Alton Road. It is ideally suited to that location.
When the Planning Department asked for our comments the tree group recommended protection. We supported the decision to place a TPO. Our interest is in protecting the amenity value of the Conservation Area; Oxton trees are an essential part of its character. We hope that potential purchasers of houses within a Conservation Area are well informed by estate agents and solicitors that trees are subject to protection.
