Please treat this email as a request for environmental information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
My request concerns planning application 22/01791/OUT, Land South of Bray Lake, Windsor Road, Maidenhead.
I have reviewed the documents available through RBWM’s Public Access system, including the Arboricultural Impact Assessment, tree schedules, tree retention and protection plans, Planning Officer assessments and committee report.
The committee report states that there were “no protected trees on the site” and concludes that the development would not cause material harm to trees, subject to appropriate conditions. It also accepts tree removal and construction activity within or close to the root protection areas of retained trees. However, I have been unable to locate any separate consultation response or assessment from an RBWM Tree Officer, Arboricultural Officer or Landscape Officer.
Please provide electronic copies of the following recorded information held by RBWM:
1. Any consultation response, report, advice, recommendation, case note or assessment prepared by an RBWM Tree Officer, Arboricultural Officer, Landscape Officer or external arboricultural adviser in connection with application 22/01791/OUT.
2. Any correspondence between the planning case officer and any tree, arboricultural or landscape officer concerning:
o the condition or amenity value of trees on or adjoining the site;
o proposed tree removal or pruning;
o the proposed access through the Windsor Road frontage;
o construction within or close to root protection areas;
o tree-protection measures; and
o replacement planting.
3. Any recorded assessment of the public amenity, visibility, prominence, landscape contribution, condition or expected remaining lifespan of trees along the Windsor Road frontage.
4. Any TEMPO assessment, amenity evaluation, scoring exercise or other assessment undertaken to determine whether any individual tree, group of trees or woodland on or adjoining the site merited protection by a Tree Preservation Order.
5. Any correspondence, note, report or decision recording whether RBWM considered making a new Tree Preservation Order after the site was allocated or proposed for development.
6. If RBWM did not consider making a Tree Preservation Order, any recorded information explaining why no such assessment was undertaken, particularly given that the arboricultural documents describe the mature Windsor Road frontage tree line as a strong and valuable landscape component.
7. Any record confirming how RBWM established that there were no protected trees on the site, including any TPO register search, map, GIS record or consultation with the Tree Team.
8. RBWM’s assessment of the proposed removal or partial removal of:
o trees T19 and T21;
o tree group TL09;
o hedgerow/tree group H10; and
o any other trees or vegetation removed to create the access, visibility splays, road or pedestrian/cycle route.
9. Any assessment of the proposed encroachment into root protection areas, including that relating to plots 1, 88 and 99 and the proposed road, footpath or cycleway along the southern boundary.
10. Any correspondence or assessment explaining why the proposed no-dig construction, manual excavation, ground protection or other mitigation was considered sufficient to protect retained trees.
11. Details of any amendments to the development layout requested by RBWM specifically to protect or retain trees, including the identity of the trees concerned.
12. Copies of the final tree-related planning conditions imposed on the permission, together with:
• any applications to discharge those conditions;
• supporting arboricultural documents;
• RBWM’s assessment of those submissions; and
• any approval or refusal notices.
13. Any subsequent tree monitoring, site inspection, compliance or enforcement records relating to the approved development.
Where any requested information is already publicly accessible, please provide the precise document title, publication date and direct location within the planning record rather than referring generally to the application page, which contains more than 300 documents.