Planning application
43 St Georges Road Torquay TQ1 3QY
Works: Trees
Permission granted. Work must normally begin within three years of the decision or the permission lapses.
Proposal
Horse chestnut (T1) Proposed works: Crown lift of low branches to achieve a clearance of approximately 4m above ground level with cuts no larger than 50mm. Works are required to alleviate obstruction and encroachment onto the adjacent highway, driveway, garden, and property areas directly beneath the crown. Specification: All operations to be carried out in accordance with BS 3998:2010 (Tree Work ? Recommendations). Removal is limited to lower-order branches that impede access and damage the arrangement of first-order branches beneath the crown dripline. Works will maintain tree health and form, focusing on clearance rather than reduction. Supporting context: A similar consent was granted in 2015 due to the tree?s asymmetrical crown interfering with neighbouring vegetation. Current encroachment affects a well-established Japanese maple (SW) and Laurus hedge (E), both of which will benefit from reduced competition for light and space. Intervention will prevent further damage to the lower crown and improve coexistence with adjacent plantings. Reason for works: To ensure safe clearance above the highway and driveway, reduce interference with neighbouring vegetation, and maintain the long-term health and structural integrity of the tree.
As published by the council, reference AT/2025/0354
Application record
- Reference
- AT/2025/0354
- Type
- Works To Tree Within TPO
- Status
- Decided
- Decision
- Granted As published: Approval
- Received
- 24 Nov 2025
- Validated
- 26 Nov 2025
- Decided
- 7 Jan 2026
- Ward
- St Marychurch
- Decision by
- Delegated
- Postcode
- TQ1 3QY
Timeline
Dates from the published record
-
24 Nov 2025
Received by Torbay
-
26 Nov 2025
Validated
Checked as complete and ready for consideration.
-
7 Jan 2026
Decision issued: Approval
-
12 Aug 2026
Added to PlanIndex
Documents
Plans, drawings, consultee responses and the officer's report
Documents on file for this application
A planning file usually holds the application form, drawings and site plans, consultee responses, the officer's report and the decision notice.
Watch members (£5 a month) open the document list from here.
Open the documentsWhat this grant of permission means
Torbay granted permission on 7 January 2026, subject to any conditions on the decision notice. Work must normally begin within three years or the permission lapses. More in our guide to what happens after a planning decision.
About tree works applications
Applications for works to trees cover protected trees: consent under a tree preservation order, or six weeks notice for trees in a conservation area. More in our guide to planning application types.
Nearby applications
Within 0.3 miles
-
90 Warbro Road Torquay TQ1 3QZ
Construction of single storey flat roof rear extension.
Granted Householder ExtensionSmall domestic -
86 Warbro Road Torquay Torbay TQ1 3QZ
Construction of single storey rear extension.
Granted Householder Extension 9 docsSmall domestic -
Cary Park Tennis Club Cary Avenue Torquay TQ1 3NQ
Erection of 3 x 6.7m lighting stanchions. Provision of 6 x LED luminaires to court 4 & provision of 1 x courtesy luminaire to court 5.
Granted Other -
Cary Tower Cary Avenue Torquay TQ1 3QT
Roof extension with small flat roof dormer and interior alterations.
Withdrawn Householder Extension Loft or dormer 11 docsDomestic -
Aveland Court Aveland Road Torquay TQ1 3PT
80% historically approved · decision due ~5 Nov
Consent was granted under application reference AT/2023/0123; however, the approved tree works were not undertaken. A new application is therefore being submitted. T1 ? Lime: Pollard to the specified height to manage the risk associated with extensive decay and hollowing within the lower stem. Mallet sounding indicates that the hollow extends approximately 750 mm above the uppermost visible cavity. T2 ? Western red cedar: Fell to ground level due to its poor physiological and structural condition following historically inappropriate and excessively severe pruning. The previous pruning does not accord with current good arboricultural practice as set out in BS 3998:2010 and has left the tree with limited potential for satisfactory long-term retention. The tree has limited visibility from public vantage points, and its removal would therefore have little effect on the area's wider visual amenity. T3 ? Oak: Reduce the crown to suitable growth points near the former pollard points, retaining adequate live growth wherever practicable. The work is required to reduce crown dimensions and associated mechanical loading because the tree occupies a confined position immediately adjacent to a boundary wall. The crown is markedly asymmetrical due to suppression and shading from taller neighbouring trees.
Awaiting decision TreesSmall domestic -
24 Hingston Road Torquay TQ1 3RA
Formation of single storey extension to rear.
Granted Prior approval Extension 18 docsSmall domestic
Other tree works applications
In Torbay
-
AT/2026/0184 Granted
18A Mead Road Torquay TQ2 6TF
Crown lift secondary branch growth only up to approximately 4.5m from ground level to achieve the required vertical clearance above the driveway and neighbours. Crown thin overall leaf bearing twig structure by 10 percent. This will also help with canopy crowding and avoid other trees rubbing against each other. Remove all major dead wood from crown All trees are Fagus Sylvatica (Mature Beech) This work has been previously accepted in 2023, application submitted by Devon Tree Services and works were completed by them as well.
-
AT/2026/0270 Awaiting decision
Flat 1 Greenwood Torwood Gardens Road Torquay TQ1 1EQ
T1 Mimosa Proposed works: Fell Mature Mimosa situated within a confined residential garden in a Conservation Area, immediately adjacent to a masonry boundary wall and nearby buildings. The presence of Ganoderma fruiting bodies at the base of the tree indicates a potential wood-decay infection. The tree also exhibits an irregular crown with apparent dieback and is growing within a severely restricted environment. Its proximity to residential property, garden areas and the public highway increases the potential consequences of structural failure. Felling is proposed on the grounds of suspected basal decay, apparent crown deterioration and the tree's restricted location.
-
AT/2026/0271 Awaiting decision
8 Cecil Avenue Paignton TQ3 1LW
T1 - Holm Oak Recommended works: Establish a pollard framework by removing the three substantial lateral branches at the positions indicated by the red markings in Photograph 3. The proposed works are intended to reduce the extensive lateral crown and associated mechanical loading from the tree's pronounced lean, while retaining the tree. Cyclical management: Following establishment, implement a seven-year cyclical pollarding regime to manage regrowth, control crown size, and limit excessive loading on the retained framework. Inspect the developing pollard heads periodically, particularly during the initial establishment period, to assess shoot attachment, structural condition and physiological response. All works should be undertaken in accordance with BS 3998:2010, subject to confirmation that the proposed cutting positions and degree of crown removal are appropriate following an on-site assessment. The seven-year interval is the proposed management objective and should be reviewed based on the tree's regrowth and structural condition.
-
AT/2026/0269 Awaiting decision
8 Ben Venue Close Torquay TQ1 1RX
T1 - Western Red Cedar Proposed works: Fell Reason for works T1 is an established Western red cedar growing in exceptionally close proximity to an existing stone boundary wall. Photographic evidence indicates that the lower stem is in direct contact with the masonry, creating a physical conflict between the tree and the structure. Continued radial growth of the stem could exert further pressure on the wall, resulting in progressive displacement and deterioration of the masonry. The close relationship between the stem and the wall also restricts access for inspection, maintenance and necessary repairs. The tree's position presents a long-term management conflict. Crown reduction would not resolve the fundamental issue at the base of the tree, as it would not prevent continued radial stem growth. Felling is recommended as a permanent way to resolve the physical conflict between the tree and the boundary wall, prevent further interference from stem growth, and facilitate any necessary structural repairs. This recommendation is based primarily on the tree's unsuitable position relative to the existing structure and the limited practical options for a sustainable long-term solution. Based on its apparent size and maturity, it is possible that the tree was planted after the original Tree Preservation Order (TPO) was established.
-
AT/2026/0204 Granted
Flat 1 Vernon Court Warren Road Torquay TQ2 5TR
Holm Oak 12m Tall 50cm diameter (Already have approved plan for other three trees on site, scope to mirror that) Crown mai fence works requested to cut back to previous pruning points, not as far as original pollard but to the secondary pollard points, this has been noted on tree inspectors recent visit looking at other trees on site. This tree was not included in the original request due to a miscommunication between owner and agent. Plan to reduce radial spread down from 9m to 7m roughly removing 1.5-2m of regrowth.