Proposed Preservation of Trees and Woodlands Legislative Competence Order

Mohammad Asghar

Pre-ballot Information: Outline Proposed Legislative Competence Order

Outline of proposed Order

To insert a new matter in Field 18 (Town and Country Planning) – The preservation and protection of trees and woodland

Pre-ballot Information: Explanatory Memorandum

Policy Objectives of the Proposed Order

To secure powers for the Assembly to strengthen and simplify Tree Preservation Order legislation in Wales. The legislation in England is already being changed under the planning reform act.

The current system of protecting individual trees in Wales through tree preservation orders (TPOs) has been shown to have significant loopholes. These have led to the loss of notable trees which represented a valuable wildlife habitat, which are important to the landscapes and townscapes of Wales, and which form part of our national heritage. At the same time, there are opportunities to streamline the system, to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy in some cases.