Trees on new developments in Waverley get the chop.

It’s not unusual to buy a new home in tree-rich Waverley and then ask Waverley Planners for permission to trim trees or remove them altogether. It is occurring all over the borough.

The residents of flats on Cranleigh’s Stocklund Square were fuming when tree surgeons turned up one morning and felled a line of mature – disease-free trees. Trees line the Downslink footpath and partially screen the new 425 Berkeley Homes from their view.

Cranleigh councillor and Waverley’s Portfolio for Planning Liz Townsend explains away the tree felling on the Downslink.

Another new resident on the Berkeley Site wants to take down half the Tree Preservation Ordered tree standing in their new garden. The offending half tree, which delivers all that miserable shade, sheds its leaves in bucket-fulls and has stood in the parkland for hundreds of years, is a perishing nuisance. Yes, you may titter – but titter not.

Here’s Arundel-based tree surgeon Max Woodage’s explanation. Just a thought. Perhaps the developer shouldn’t have been allowed to build houses so close to trees.

document 8641851

As you will see – from the comment below, Cranleigh Parish Council Objected. Not that anyone took any notice. No Arbocultural Report! Application APPROVED.

TM/2022/01977 1 Worcester Drive, Cranleigh, GU6 7FW APPLICATION FOR WORKS TO TREE SUBJECT OF TREE PRESERVATION ORDER 11/16 OBJECTION – Members request that an arboricultural report is carried out and provided. Members highlight that within a new development, the house would have been purchased with the knowledge of the tree. Members highlighted that the proposals are unbalanced as the works would only be to one side of the tree; the proposals should consider the tree as a whole and ensure that the works are carried out to create a balancing effect on the tree.

Now the Berkeley Bunnies are off again – for the remainder of the site.

This application was recently lodged with Waverley Planners on land South of High Street between Alfold Road and Knowle Lane, Cranleigh.

Approval of all reserved matters for phase 4 for the erection of 39 dwellings with associated access, parking, and landscaping works following outline approval of WA/2016/1625 for the erection of 425 houses.

Here are just some of the designs. We presume they are still being called two-storey homes!

CPC comments.

The application includes information to discharge outline conditions 3 (finished floor levels), 21 (surface water management scheme), and 22 (surface water drainage scheme) under WA/2016/1625. (A statement of conformity to the original Environmental Statement has been provided with this application).

NO OBJECTION – Members request that written confirmation be given that there will be no through road between the sites. The current road allowed for construction vehicles is to be gated with access for emergency vehicles only.

It is requested that the trees that have recently been removed are replaced to retain the screening between the site and Stocklund Square.

Members question if the water supply is sufficient for the additional dwellings and if the inclusion of solar panels would be possible for the proposed homes. 

Thousands of homes in Waverley are without water.

2 thoughts on “Trees on new developments in Waverley get the chop.”

  1. Yes, and it’s amazing also how many ash trees have supposed ash die back, and need to be cut down. But then the price of wood has more than doubled…..hardly a coincidence. For almost 40 years four native trees grew on this piece of green in Ewhurst. One morning, with no warning to the resident they were hacked to the ground including a young yew tree…..these supposedly dead trees put up small shoots and were growing again – only to be chainsawed into the ground 3 weeks ago ..as Ewhurst Parish Councilwanted to plant a hawthorm tree to be part of the green canopy for the Platinum Jubilee (shame four native trees were chopped down for this)…. By 2010 over 106 trees had been felled within this one area of Ewhurst in less than 10 years.

    1. Every day here at the Waverley Web, we say we cannot be more shocked than the day before – and then we receive yet another bit of shocking news. Why, oh why is this allowed to happen in a Climate Emergency?

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