Countryside campaigners CPRE are today (Wednesday) urging the British Standards Institution (BSI) to change their plans for guidelines on tree safety. ‘The BSI has generated anxiety and confusion with proposals which could threaten the future of trees valued for their public amenity,’ said Tom Oliver, Head of Rural Policy at CPRE. There is a real risk that members of the public will worry about costs and liabilities arising from trees in their gardens near public rights of way, pavements or other houses. They may be encouraged to take unnecessary pre-emptive action and fell trees to avoid inspection costs and liabilities,’ Tom Oliver continued. CPRE is concerned that the loss to the quality of towns and villages as well as the immediate surroundings of public rights of way could be severe for reasons that are avoidable. ‘The BSI should act swiftly to dispel these fears and prevent the unnecessary loss of trees,’ Tom Oliver continued. Neither the Health and Safety Executive nor the Government’s independent advisers on risk support the proposals. The BSI has also acted before knowing the conclusions of important research due to be commissioned by the Tree Safety Group. ‘Public safety is vital, but great care needs to be taken to avoid unnecessary actions which would damage the character of our towns and villages, their resilience to extreme weather and the wildlife and heritage associated with them. It is encouraging that, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn MP, seems to agree,’ Tom Oliver concluded.

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24 July 2008
© CPRE