Felling or lopping of trees
43.—(1) The undertaker may fell, prune, coppice, pollard, reduce in height or width or lop any tree or shrub within or overhanging land within the Order limits or cut back its roots, if it reasonably believes it to be necessary to do so to prevent the tree or shrub—
(a)subject to paragraph (4), from obstructing or interfering with the construction, maintenance or operation of the authorised development or any apparatus used in connection with the authorised development; or
(b)from constituting a danger to passengers or other persons using the authorised development.
(2) The powers in paragraph (1) may be exercised in relation to any tree or shrub which is situated within a conservation area (designated under section 69 (designation of conservation areas) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990)(1).
(3) Action may not be taken under paragraph (2) unless the undertaker has given written notice to the relevant planning authority of the intended action (with sufficient particulars to identify the tree), and either—
(a)the relevant planning authority has indicated in writing that it has no objection to the works or that they fall within an exemption in paragraph (4) or (5), or
(b)six weeks have elapsed from the date of the notice and a tree preservation order has not been made in respect of the tree or shrub.
(4) Paragraph (3) does not apply where consent would not be needed for the proposed action if the tree or shrub were subject to a tree preservation order.
(5) Paragraph (3) does not apply to any action which would be exempt in accordance with regulations under section 212 (power to disapply s. 211) of the 1990 Act.
(6) The duty contained in section 213(1) (enforcement of controls as respects trees in conservation areas) of the 1990 Act does not apply to the undertaker in carrying out any activity authorised by paragraphs (2) and (3).
(7) The authority given by paragraphs (2) and (3) constitutes an authorisation by an order granting development consent for the purposes of section 211(1A) of the 1990 Act.
(8) In carrying out any activity authorised by paragraph (1) or paragraphs (2) and (3), the undertaker must not unnecessarily damage any tree or shrub and must pay compensation to any person for any loss or damage arising from such activity.
(9) Any dispute as to a person’s entitlement to compensation under this article, or as to the amount of compensation, must be determined as if it were a dispute under Part 1 of the 1961 Act.
(10) The undertaker must not exercise the powers under paragraph (2) of this article after completion of construction of the authorised development.
(11) Nothing in paragraph (1)(a) authorises works to any tree or shrub within the Avon Gorge Woodlands SAC in contravention of the Avon Gorge Vegetation Management Plan.