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11
Jun
New tree policy ‘does not go far enough protect community woodland’, claims Pinewoods group
A new tree and woodland policy does not go far enough protect community woodland, according to a group at the heart of the battle to prevent Harrogate Spring Water felling 500 trees.
North Yorkshire Council’s new policy, which goes before its cabinet next week, sets out a countywide approach to managing trees.
It claims the policy will put green spaces at the heart of decision-making and create greener, healthier places to live. You can read more here.
But Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity which protects the 96-acre Pinewoods on the edge of Harrogate, said the policy does not take into account lessons learned during Harrogate Spring Water’s planning application.
The company, which is owned by French multinational Danone, wants to mitigate the loss of 500 trees in a section of the Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood by planting 3,000 elsewhere.
The council’s planning committee rejected its latest plans in April. The company has six months to appeal.
Pinewoods Conservation Group said in a statement:
Pinewoods Conservation Group welcomes North Yorkshire Council’s work to develop a tree and woodland policy, but we are concerned that the current draft does not go far enough to protect established community woodland.
The recent Rotary Wood planning case showed very clearly that local people expect council-owned and publicly valued woodland to be treated as irreplaceable community infrastructure, not simply as land that can be offset through future planting elsewhere. The strength of feeling around Rotary Wood reflected more than concern for individual trees. It reflected the value of mature habitat, public access, local history, climate resilience, biodiversity and the years of care given by volunteers and residents.
We are disappointed that the draft policy does not appear to fully learn from those issues. It should include a much stronger presumption against the loss of established community woodland, particularly where land is publicly accessible, council-owned, or recognised as an Asset of Community Value. It should also make clear that replacement planting cannot be assumed to compensate for the destruction of existing woodland.
Harrogate Spring Water stepped in when hospital water supplies faltered. Pic: Caught Light Photography
The charity urged the council to give community groups “clearer rights to early consultation, meaningful involvement in management plans, and a formal route to raise concerns where woodland is threatened by development or disposal”.
It added:
"Rotary Wood demonstrated that residents want decisions about woodland to be transparent, evidence-led and rooted in long-term public benefit. We have written to the council with suggestions on how to strengthen the policy before adoption so that it protects the places local communities already value, not just future planting schemes.”
'This is just a love letter to trees'
David Noland, the Green Party councillor for Skipton North & Embsay with Eastby Division, said the new policy “does managing trees well” but “could be more ambitious in its protection of woodland”.
He added:
“Without better protection, this is just a love letter to trees, when what we need is a marriage contract.”
Cllr Noland said the policy allowed woodland planted since 1600CE to be cut down if the planning balance ‘weighs in favour’.
I’m worried about where that leaves us with younger woodland planted as mitigation.
To me these seem like gaps between current policy and the council’s priorities because on the one hand we want to plant trees for flood mitigation, health, well-being and the climate emergency, and on the other hand our policies let us cut them down.
He also questioned why hedges less than 30 years aren’t protected.
He added:
“If only one change is made, I would add: ‘Development resulting in loss of woodland should only be permitted where there is overriding public benefit and no feasible lower-impact alternative’.”
'Consistent approach'
The council said the policy would introduce a consistent approach to tree management across the county for the first time, helping to improve protection and avoid a patchwork of different practices which existed prior to the launch of North Yorkshire Council in 2023.
Key proposals include:
• Protecting trees and green spaces from unnecessary loss.
• Stronger expectations for developers to retain trees and hedgerows.
• Making better use of Tree Preservation Orders to protect valued areas.
• Supporting wildlife and climate resilience through better tree care.
Cllr Malcolm Taylor, the council’s executive member for highways and transportation, whose portfolio includes parks and countryside services, said:
“This proposed policy shows our commitment to protecting trees and making sure they continue to benefit communities now and in the future. If approved, it will put green spaces at the heart of how we make decisions.”
Helen Arnold, the council’s tree and woodland manager, said:
“Good tree management is about taking a long-term view. This policy will help us protect what we have, plan more effectively for the future, and ensure North Yorkshire’s trees continue to support wildlife, tackle climate change and benefit communities for generations to come.”
John Parker, chief executive officer of the Arboricultural Association, the largest membership body for tree care professionals in the UK, said:
It is really positive to see that the newly formed North Yorkshire Council is considering introducing a new tree and woodland policy so early in its existence, recognising the significant benefits that trees bring to the urban and rural communities of North Yorkshire and acknowledging the importance of arboricultural best practice in tree care.
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