Developers threatened with court over Brockworth perry pear trees
DEVELOPERS who cut down Brockworth's beloved perry pear trees have been threatened with court action.
David Wilson Homes will be prosecuted by Tewkesbury Borough Council if it does not "pull its finger out".
It was ordered to replace the treasured trees but, six months on, they still have not carried it out properly.
Councillors said yesterday that the company is "taking the mickey" and should be taken to magistrates' court if necessary.
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David Wilson Homes is building 80 homes on the Kennel Lane site but its planning permission said it must preserve the trees. But in August, the company wrongly gave the trees the chop, claiming contractors did it in error. Residents were distraught as they had been standing in the village for more than 100 years.
After they were felled, Tewkesbury Borough Council quickly served a Breach of Condition Notice. It ordered them to plant three perry pear trees of local origin – which must be protected by tree guards and maintained for five years. The trees were replanted by the November 30 deadline, but a site visit last week found the wrong species had been planted and two of the trees had already been damaged.
Tewkesbury Borough's development control manager Paul Skelton said at a planning meeting yesterday: "We are hopeful the developers will see the error of their ways."
But if they do not correct the situation quickly, the planning committee has authorised the council's solicitor to take the company to court.
Councillor Jude Perez (LD, Brockworth) said: "They need to pull their finger out and stop taking the mickey."
After the meeting, Kelvin Tutill, managing director of David Wilson Homes South West, told The Citizen: "The replacement trees were planted last November as agreed and we will ensure that they are protected to enable them to become established over the coming years."
2 Comments
by FreeRadical1
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 5:50PM
“The deadline for replanting was clearly late February, not November, as stated. That's why the site inspection was carried out last week. The muppets managed to plant the wrong species (!!!) and then didn't protect the saplings. And yet they maintain that they have done nothing wrong. I wonder exactly where the new trees were planted, as they may now have freed up space for extra houses.”
by GlosJ_26
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 4:21PM
“I still think its suspicious the "site plan" featured on the DWH website, shows a single house with a massive double width garden.
On the original plans there were 2 houses side by side but the 2nd one had to be removed as it would involve cutting down said trees..... would be terribly convenient and easy for the developer to cut the garden in half and apply for amended planning to build this extra £400k house now the trees have been "accidentally" cut down?!?!? Just saying.... i doubt the financial penalty (if any) would be anywhere near the profit theyd make on the extra house!!!!”