Policy information sourced from St Albans District Local Plan
74 Landscaping and Tree Preservation
The Council will take account of the following landscaping factors when considering planning applications:
- Retention of existing landscaping
- significant healthy trees and other important landscape features, such as hedgerows, ponds and watercourses shall normally be retained unless it can be shown that retention is incompatible with overall design quality and/or economic use of the site;
- on sites with significant existing landscaping, planning applications shall be supported by a full tree survey indicating all landscape features, tree species, canopy spread, trunk diameter and levels at the base of each tree;
- trees shall not normally he severely topped or lopped, or endangered by construction work or underground services. In addition, buildings shall not be sited where they are likely to justify future requests for tree felling or surgery for reasons of safety, excessive shading, nuisance or structural damage;
- the Council will make tree preservation orders and/or attach appropriate landscaping conditions to planning permissions to safeguard existing trees and ensure that new planting is established and-ptotected;
- Provision of new landscaping
- where appropriate, adequate space and depth of soil for planting must be allowed within developments. In particular, screen planting including large trees will normally be required at the edge of settlements;
- detailed landscaping schemes will normally be required as part of full planning applications. Amongst other things they must indicate existing trees and shrubs to be retained; trees to be felled; the planting of new trees, shrubs and grass; and screening and paving. Preference should be given to the use of native trees and shrubs;
- wildlife corridors shall be established in accordance with Policy 75, wherever opportunities occur.
For more information please see the Local Plan