Eastleigh Borough Council “serious” about protecting trees

In recent months there have been two incidents in Eastleigh Borough where trees were cut down with no authorisation.

In March, trees were felled along Woodhouse Lane in Hedge End as part of work to build the Botley Bypass, prompting an investigation to be launched.

Then on April 13, part of an historic woodland was torn down at Scorey’s Copse in Horton Heath by a landowner.

Now though, borough chiefs have said they are committed to protecting the areas trees and improving biodiversity.

A new planning document has been drawn up which sets out the council’s policy on the protection of trees.

The draft Trees and Development Supplementary document is said to be aimed at ensuring trees are “fully considered by developers as part of the planning process”.

The document will be published for a six-week consultation starting from June 9.

This comes as the council announced that its tree nursery at the Horton Heath development is in “full swing” with hundreds of trees growing.

Cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Rupert Kyrle said the council is “very serious about wanting to protect the environment. We’ve declared a climate emergency and we’re very serious about that but also understand that we need to have housing.”

“This new document sets out to landowners what the council expects. We don’t condone wholesale clearances of sites and what we want is for any development that comes forward to look at the environment that’s already there.”

Councillor Kyrle explained that the council will look to take action against those responsible for the incidents in Horton Heath and Hedge End.

Council Leader, Keith House added: “These proposals reinforce our commitment to improving biodiversity by protecting existing trees and planting new trees on future developments. They provide a clear system for developers to follow that we can introduce quickly and enforce.”

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