About Trees

Northumberland County Council did not have the information requested.

Dear Northumberland County Council,

Please could you fulfil my FOI request as follows;

1. How many Category A and B trees have NCC, its contractors and associates removed each year from 2008 to 2018 inclusive for any purposes?

2. How many TPOs have been made each year from 2008 to 2018 inclusive?

3. How many trees in total have been removed as a result of major planning applications each year from 2008 to 2018 inclusive? If NCC does not monitor this information r.e. the numbers of trees removed from Northumberland as a result of major planning applications, please could you explain why NCC does not.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Joyce Brown

Northumberland County Council

1 Attachment

Our Ref: 5141  

Dear Enquirer,

INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information which will be dealt with under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental
Information Regulations 2004.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

If you have any queries about this matter please contact us. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Kind regards

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

Northumberland County Council

1 Attachment

Our Ref: 5141  

Dear Enquirer,

Request for Information

I refer to your request for information received 12 November 2018.

The Council have considered your request for information under the terms
of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. In our view the request
falls within the scope of the broad definition of environmental
information contained within Regulation 2(1) of the Regulations.

Right of Access

The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provide that a public
authority that holds environmental information shall make it available on
request. The Regulations create a general right of access to environmental
information held by public authorities subject to various exceptions. A
public authority may refuse to disclose environmental information if an
exception to disclosure applies and the public authority decides that in
all the circumstances the public interest in maintaining the exception
outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The Council has carefully considered whether the information requested can
be disclosed under the Regulations.

Request:
1. How many Category A and B trees have NCC, its contractors and
associates removed each year from 2008 to 2018 inclusive for any purposes?
2. How many TPOs have been made each year from 2008 to 2018 inclusive?
3. How many trees in total have been removed as a result of major planning
applications each year from 2008 to 2018 inclusive? If NCC does not
monitor this information r.e. the numbers of trees removed from
Northumberland as a result of major planning applications, please could
you explain why NCC does not.  
Response:
1. We do not categorise trees according to the British Standard categories
so can not provide a response to this question.
2. Based on the TPO module the total of TPOs for the following years with
regards to Q2 are:
2008 = 0
2009 = 0
2010 = 0
2011 = 0
2012 = 44
2013 = 403
2014 = 168
2015 = 18
2016 = 17
2017 = 9
2018 = 6
3. We do not keep any records of the number of trees removed as a result
of major planning applications.  
Advice and Assistance

The Council recognises its statutory duty to provide advice and assistance
under Regulation 9 of the Regulations. Subject to the provision of the
Regulations, the Council is seeking to be transparent and open it is
response.

Representations and Reconsideration

If you consider that the Council has failed to comply with a requirement
of the Regulations in relation to your request, you have a right to make
representations under Regulation 11. Representations must be made in
writing to the Council no later than 40 working days after the date on
which you believe that the Council failed to comply with a requirement of
the Regulations.

Any representation should be addressed to:

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF

Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]

Enforcement and Appeal Provisions

Should you remain dissatisfied following the above process, you have a
right under the Regulations to apply to the Information Commissioner for a
decision as to whether your request has been dealt with in accordance with
the requirements of the Regulations. The Information Commissioners address
is:

The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone no. 01625 545745
Fax no. 01625 524510
Email: [email address]

Yours faithfully

EIR Coordinator - Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF

Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]

Dear Northumberland County Council,

With regards to my FOI request; "1. How many Category A and B trees have NCC, its contractors and associates removed each year from 2008 to 2018 inclusive for any purposes?"

You have replied, "We do not categorise trees according to the British Standard categories
so can not provide a response to this question. "

Therefore, please would you be good enough to tell me how NCC does categorise trees so that I can ask the question again, because on every NCC document I've read on trees this is not mentioned and I've only seen the British Standards. Thank you.

I am stunned that you tell me NCC keeps no records of the number of trees the county loses via major planning applications each year - please can you confirm this is true? Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Joyce Brown

Northumberland County Council

1 Attachment

Our Ref: 5141  

Dear Enquirer

With regards to your email of 19 November (below) I have provided the
responses to your questions.

Dear Northumberland County Council,

With regards to my FOI request; "1. How many Category A and B trees have
NCC, its contractors and associates removed each year from 2008 to 2018
inclusive for any purposes?"

You have replied, "We do not categorise trees according to the British
Standard categories
so can not provide a response to this question. "

Therefore, please would you be good enough to tell me how NCC does
categorise trees so that I can ask the question again, because onevery NCC
document I've read on trees this is not mentioned and I've only seen the
British Standards. Thank you.

I can confirm that the council does not undertake a categorisation of
trees subject to development.  Applicants for planning consent that will
have an impact on trees will provide an accompanying tree survey that
includes a categorisation of the trees on the site and the council takes
this into account when determining an application.  To re-iterate, we do
not undertake any routine categorisation of trees ourselves or keep
records of the category of trees affected by development.

I am stunned that you tell me NCC keeps no records of the number of trees
the county loses via major planning applications each year - please can
you confirm this is true? Thank you.

I can confirm that we do not keep a record of trees lost to major
applications in the county. 

Yours faithfully

EIR Coordinator - Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF

Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]