Existing trees and other natural features are an important aspect of urban and rural landscapes and make a significant contribution to the character and quality of the county’s roads. This guidance primarily concerns the retention of trees when carrying out roadworks and within new developments. However, where the scale of new highway development allows, the retention of other valuable natural features such as wildflower rich grassland should be considered.
Retaining existing trees within the development’s layout ensures a mature and established appearance that can enhance the value of properties.
As well as providing important ecosystem services such as reduced flood risk, carbon capture and reduced air pollution, the preservation of natural features can help to retain the connectivity of habitats for wildlife. Specialist ecological advice should be sought on this. Trees are also incredibly valuable for supporting our physical and mental wellbeing.
Figure 36: Photo of a retained mature tree within development that has enough space to enable it to thrive
Removal of Trees
Where the council has assessed and determined that, for the benefits of highways safety and public interest there is no alternative but to remove an existing high amenity value tree or trees from a development site, the council will seek a sum to mitigate the loss of the public asset from the relevant party.
The council will request the mitigated sum by email and the relevant party must pay the full and final mitigation amount within thirty working days of receipt of the invoice, prior to technical approval. Should the relevant party not pay the final mitigation amount within the thirty working days the final mitigation amount will attract interest at the current Bank of England rate.