REVIEW AND ANALYSIS 39 National planning policy gives a basic level of protection to trees affected by development but there is no automatic right of protection for the nation’s oldest and most special trees. In this respect trees differ from other nationally important heritage and ecology, falling between the cracks of our heritage protection and wildlife protection systems. There is a notable example of this at Hampstead Heath in London. At the north end of the heath is a Grade II listed brick wall and archway (see photo) which was the former garden entrance to Pitt House, the convalescent home of William Pitt the Elder who was Prime Minister from 1766 to 1768. Next to the wall is a towering centuries old beech tree, potentially as old as the house itself (the house was demolished in 1952 and the brick wall and archway are all that remain). A few years ago the tree was undermining the stability of the arch, and the tree was at risk of being felled to preserve the grade-listed structure. Fortunately a solution was found which enabled the retention of both the wall and the tree through the use of adjustable props at the base of the tree. This is the ideal – active conservation of both our built and natural heritage. There are cases where trees are protected, but this is often as a by-product of protecting something else. Tree preservation orders can be an effective emergency protection for trees of high ‘amenity’ value to the local community, but they are not designed as a strategic tool for the conservation of old and special trees. Trees within conservation areas are also subject to a higher level of protection reflecting their value in terms of urban landscape character. Similarly, trees in legally protected places like sites of special scientific interest will have protection through the site designation. Felling licenses also act as a control on the indiscriminate felling of trees although, in most cases, an individual tree is not likely to contain a sufficient volume of timber to require a consent for its felling. A number of countries in Europe now have legal protection for old and special trees. In Italy a law protects more than 20,000 monumental trees, and Romania passed a similar law this year. A number of countries including Poland have laws that protect ‘natural monuments’ including many old trees. The Woodland Trust is exploring the potential for a similar system here to help protect and conserve our oldest trees. The history of people is writ large in our oldest trees and woods. For example the woodlands around the fringes of London literally fuelled the expansion of the city, whether by making charcoal from oak and hornbeam to provide fuel for cookhouses and metal working or the timber taken to make countless buildings and great ships like Sir Francis Drake’s ship the Golden Hind which was made The classical arch at Hampstead Heath (Photo: The Woodland Trust) Ancient pollarded hornbeam trees, Hatfield Forest (Photo: Tom Reed)
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