On 21/03/2011 00:39, chris French wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
On 19/03/2011 16:54, kay wrote:
Does anyone have first-hand experience of gardening in a Conservation
Area?

(snipped)

I can assure you, it's not easy to live with ... or that is to say
it's not easy if you follow all the rules ;~}. We love trees and plant
them and do most of our own tree work, at least while we're still fit
enough. We do have to be a bit careful because, although we have
mostly gorgeous neighbours, there is someone who rats on others. To
make matters worse, our conservation rules apply to the whole property
so you can't put in new windows .. or build a wall .. or put your
washing out on the wrong day (yes, *really*!). I have come across a
few conservation areas like ours and they are not at all popular with
the locals.


No, but for your general conservation area those things aren't an issue

They are actually, Chris. Sunday is the day we're not allowed to put
out washing, and Sunday is the only day some people have free for that
job. There are other difficulties, but we just have to get on with it.
You're right, though. It is the other body that creates and enforces
these regulations, although the Council has to (unwillingly) toe the
line. Nevertheless, residents may have to approach the LA/Council *and*
this other body when tree issues arise. My immediate neighbour,
incidentally, had a fruit tree removed when it died and she had to plant
a tree of this Body's choosing in her front garden to replace the dead
one.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

In message , Spider
writes
On 21/03/2011 00:39, chris French wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
On 19/03/2011 16:54, kay wrote:
Does anyone have first-hand experience of gardening in a Conservation
Area?

(snipped)

I can assure you, it's not easy to live with ... or that is to say
it's not easy if you follow all the rules ;~}. We love trees and plant
them and do most of our own tree work, at least while we're still fit
enough. We do have to be a bit careful because, although we have
mostly gorgeous neighbours, there is someone who rats on others. To
make matters worse, our conservation rules apply to the whole property
so you can't put in new windows .. or build a wall .. or put your
washing out on the wrong day (yes, *really*!). I have come across a
few conservation areas like ours and they are not at all popular with
the locals.


No, but for your general conservation area those things aren't an issue

They are actually, Chris. Sunday is the day we're not allowed to put
out washing, and Sunday is the only day some people have free for that
job. There are other difficulties, but we just have to get on with it.
You're right, though. It is the other body that creates and enforces
these regulations,

which was my point really - pointing out that these things aren't
*generally* part of being in a conservation area.

--
Chris French

"kay" wrote in message
...

Does anyone have first-hand experience of gardening in a Conservation
Area?

I have been discussing with the Council tree person the impact of their
proposal to extend the Conservation Area to include our house and
garden.

Very briefly:

All trees with a trunk of 3 inches dia or more at about 5ft high are
covered, and for any work on them, I need to give six weeks notice, and
fill in a form with a plan showing the trees' location and full details
of the work I need to do.

This covers all work, including, eg annual pruning of fruit trees. He
has told me that picking of bay leaves for culinary purposes, and
picking holly for christmas decorations should, by law, be applied for
similarly but will be overlooked.

I will have to apply every single year to carry out annual pruning - I
cannot get an approval to annually prune.

There appears to be no way in which to get a particular tree exempted -
eg for them to decide that a leylandii doesn't add to the conservation
character of the area and therefore I may continue to cut it back to
keep it within bounds.

Since I have around 40 trees over the size limit, are close to reaching
it, this is going to cause me a considerable amount of paperwork, and,
more importantly, it will cause them a lot of paperwork (I think he was
very sensible to concede on bay leaves ;-) )

So - is this the attitude tree officers are taking elsewhere, or is my
particular tree officer not quite au fait with the legislation (my
father believes that there is something in the primary legislation
saying that it shouldn't override good husbandry, and so annual pruning
of fruit trees is allowed)?


--
kay

Kay, I live and garden inside a conservation zone, and although in theory
much of what you have said is correct (you can actually cut hedges, maintain
topiary, prune fruit trees, pleach trees etc all without hindrance) in
practice no one has ever shown the slightest interest in what happens here,
last year I took down 4 large sycamores each with a trunk diameter of over
18", they were in the boundary hedge and had anyone whinged I would have
shown them the old pictures when they were just a hedge. I have two other
sycamores that are also in the boundary hedge but these are over 250 years
old and have never been cut, these I would not consider touching as they are
trees that everyone in the village gets to see and although it would be
nicer if they were not sycamore they are worth conserving so I do.

Mind you every time I put a ladder up to do any house maintenance (we are
not a listed building) someone will always stick their oar in and ask what I
am doing! they seem to have got the idea that they can control the colour of
the house, I wouldn't mind but we painted it this colour in the first place
but it seems our taste was so good it must be preserved for ever!!

I now what you mean! I have trees that wouldn't be there had I not planted the seed in the first place, and now I am expected to ask permission before trimming a branch!