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Trees and planning applications

We take trees into consideration for all planning applications.

If you’re making a planning application, you must explain how you have taken existing trees into consideration and how any new trees will be incorporated. If there are any trees within 15m of any part of the development, they should be surveyed and assessed as part of an Arboricultural Impact Assessment. More details can be found in the Arboricultural Assessment section of the Validation Guide, this is currently section 7.18 on page 15 of the guide.

The Arboricultural Association and the Institute of Chartered Foresters have list of companies who can help you gather the information you need to support your planning application.

We also offer a pre-application advice service if you are unsure whether you will need to provide detailed tree reports for your proposed development. Unfortunately this service is temporarily suspended due to staffing levels.

We use a number of plans, policies and guidelines to assess how a development will affect trees, including the following.

National Planning Policy Framework 2023

  • Chapter 12 – Achieving well designed places (Section 131)
  • Chapter 15 – Conserving and enhancing the natural environment (Section 174 and Section 180)

South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035

  • ENV1- Landscape and Countryside
  • ENV2-Biodiversity- Designated Sites, Priority Habitats and Species
  • ENV3- Biodiversity
  • ENV5- Green Infrastructure in New Developments
  • ENV8- Conservation Areas
  • ENV10- Historic Battlefields, Registered Parks and Gardens and Historic Landscapes

Other useful guidance information can be found in the following links:

Contact us - Trees, countryside sites, ecology and landscape

01235 422600
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialing)

planning@southoxon.gov.uk

South Oxfordshire District Council
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE

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