Forum for residents of St Georges Park and Long Leys Road Lincoln

[deb]

John has received a planning app to reduce and reshape a weeping willow by 35%. Wynbrook the builder have applied for this for 6 Carram Close. The appn. number is 2008/0399/TPO and the person for comment/objection is tracy.lynn@lincoln.gov.uk.

I always have concerns about willow trees near old drainage and also in clay soil areas. Whilst they can effectively suck up water they find water leaks and make their way into pipes and can dry the clay soil so well that it cracks and can cause heave. This would not just affect no 6.

I (as me, not LLRA) am going to object to the re shaping and ask for it to be removed. I spoke to the council some time ago about it and was told that although the tree person wanted it removing and asked me to write in backing them, the planning officer did not. Seems a bit wrong that the person with the knowledge is over ruled... Shaping will not in any way affect the roots and the tree will simply grow back anyway and be a right pain for whoever is in or near no 6. The gardens are already northish I think.

[iggy]

if the tree comes out they must plant other more suitable trees ,because this will not be the only tree they have removed. in fact a lot have been cut down

[SteveW]

Several of us went along to the original outline planning meeting and we were told that this tree along with the Poplars WOULD NOT be touched. I'm sure this promise must be recorded somewhere for future reference. If there is now a problem then tough because that means just one thing:

They built the bloody houses too close!

[SteveW]

.............Furthermore, when the land was sold for housing, some of us fought long & hard to save those trees, especially the willow.

I don't want to appear rude Deb, but,

a) Living where you do, you will not even be able to see those trees and

b) You must be at least 500 metres away, so they are hardly going to trouble YOU.

[deb]

OK won't do it though I don't think that generally it's a bad thing to get involved in things that won't directly affect me...unless it makes its way to the old main drain on Long Leys!!! I guess the new householder and neighbours can contact the council when they move in if they feel the need.

[SteveW]

I guess if they don't like the tree that cIose then they won't buy the house.

The tree has been there long enough not to affect the deep deep main concrete drain pipe running along Long Leys Road. The pipe wall will be at least 25mm thick, but it could be drinking a fair share of all the water running down off Bakers Field!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[deb]

Yup they're good at that! Contrary to popular belief they don't actively seek out drains but if there's the smallest leak that remains unfixed their roots will work their way towards it and grow down and through the pipes. I sent my letter before this application so don't mind backing off. If the planners are overriding the tree specialist then it's probably a pointless exercise anyway. By the way, it's not rude to say what you think (unless it verges on the personal!), it's what the Forum is for so no worries from here.

[SteveW]

I note the Planning Application reference for the proposed 35% tree reduction ends in TPO.

Lets hope that stands for TREE PRESERVATION ORDER.

[iggy]

as we know the planners will and do what they want to do, whatever the public or experts say well let hope it not as the song says ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.
does anybody know how many trees were on the site before and how many left now
or is it again in fact like D Wilson's dont do the landscaping then reply for planning to carry out a cheaper option and like normal the planner are not bothered and agree

[SteveW]

Not many trees were removed at all. If you look at the site from Long Leys Road there was about 3 or 4 in the bottom right hand corner which were cut down. Not very big more like overgrown bushes and probably 2-3 more in the top left hand corner in front of the poplars. In all fairness Wynbrook Homes have in fact planted quickthorn along the boundary by the drain on Long Leys Road and half a dozen trees around the car park. In fact considering what it was like I think the development is tastefully constructed. My only concern was on the original plan of 24 houses there was space for 36 cars which was annotated on the drawing as 1.5 cars per property. At the planning meeting I asked where you could buy 0.5 of a car. Lets just hope they leave them in their allotted spaces and don't start parking along the roadside like what seems to be acceptable on the other entrance to the estate.

[iggy]

thanks for that info Steve on the trees as for your worries about the parking ,i think you should be worried about it because it not if it happens its a matter of when it happens .this will be totally unacceptable as a health and safety issue with emergency services/ buses and dont forget the over spill parking [the council know it will happen thats why they are puting in the new footpath ] the main problem seams to be parking on bends / junctions not just on this road but on all bends does any body know what the highway code says .
2 way of sorting it out
1 yellow line areas this must be possible as the bus stop has restrictions placed on it
2 make the whole of carram ONE WAY

[deb]

As stated before, Highway Code etc has no relevance on the estate until it is adopted. Until then it is a private road. Parking on a bend let alone near one seems to be the norm at the moment. Coming round Carram so you go past Berrilldon and Manrico you haven't a hope of seeing what's coming up Carram the other way with vehicles that are obliged to drive on the wrong side of the road.

Iggy you say "as we know the planners will and do what they want to do, whatever the public or experts say" but on this occassion it is the planners who have gone against the expert i.e. willow trees not appropriate planting for a small residential garden and have kept it which is I think what you want despite your posting about the discovery of tree roots in the drains! This is an aplication for trimming not removal. I think a general rule is that a tree should not be taller than the distance it is from a house so perhaps they feel that although they've kept it they should at least reduce its size.

I'm with Steve on the look, what may have been removed to build has at least been done quite well. I think Persimmons frontage looks good too. Wilson's we'll wait and see though down Mercer isn't too bad even if some of the gardens were planted with both lavender and hostas proving that they knew very little about plants and their requirements!

[robcrack]

The M6 toll section is a private road - does that mean one can walk along it, travel at any speed and use any mode of transport?? Noop. The only motoring type offence that could not be prosecuted for on St Georges would be those relating to vehicle excise. A road is defined under s.192(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1998 as : .....any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes.....
Whether the public has access is a question of fact. If only a resticted secton of the public e.g members of a private club, has access, that is not enough to make it a road.
The highway code is not law.
In short, the Road Traffic Act is fully in play on the estate.

[deb]

oooh this is interesting (and a big difference in what has been 'official' before!)

So, in theory, people could be done for not wearing a seat belt, parking on the bends, using a mobile phone, going at more than 30mph, leaving the car engine running while parked on the road while they run back in having forgotten something? But cannot be done for leaving a car on the road without tax. So most of the usual offences apply even though the road is still unadopted - is that about right?

In other words, if we wanted to cure this problem of 'blind' bends we could have a word with a traffic cop/PCSO/traffic warden and all or any of them (what's the authority?) could, in theory, ticket people?

[SteveW]

Maybe the PCO's could clear that one up. I suspect laws can be enforced on an unadopted road or why else would they erect a sign saying No Parking in the Bus Stop on Carram Way within certain times.

Surely double yellow lines on the main routes in and out of the estate should do the trick. If it's too far out of town for Traffic Wardens to venture, I'm sure there are people on the estate, with time on their hands, who would volunteer to fetch one!?!?!?!?!??.