May I please have the following:
1) Full details of the trees within the city centre of Exeter. This is to include Fore Street, Frog Street, South Street, North Street, Paris Street, Sidwell Street and nearby areas.
Devon County Council does not hold a database of the tree stock across the County so we do not hold this information.
2) A list of any special trees – such as TPO’s of of historical significance.
Following on from our response to question 1 we can confirm we do not hold this information. However, we can confirm that TPO’s are administered by Exeter City Council so we would recommend that you contact Exeter City Council direct for this information. Their contact details can be found on their website at:
3) Details of all of the trees felled on public land within the DCC remit and their reasons – as far back as possible please
We cannot extract this data within the time limits laid out for the processing of freedom of information requests. Much of the tree surgery carried out on behalf of the County Council results from its role as a Highway Authority and does not relate to public land.
Beyond this, only some of the tree works involve felling and only some of the works are on public land. To obtain the numbers of trees felled from the other tree surgery would be very time consuming given the numbers involved and the format in which they are stored.
In addition to this, those figures would only relate to that fraction of DCC tree work handled by the Highways ELMs system. To answer the question as requested we would also have to add trees felled elsewhere in DCC – as part of cycle route and public rights of way maintenance: at Stover Country Park and the Grand Western Canal: on any development site (such as the Torbay Link Road scheme)
Because of the volume of information held, alongside other tree surgery, it is not possible to extract this data within the appropriate time limit of 18 hours and the disclosure of this information is therefore exempt pursuant to s.12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. With regard to the reasons, can advise further in response to question 4 below.
4) The strategy for tree felling – so when a mature tree is felled – what is the plan to replant
Other than as necessary for occasional development projects, or as part of habitat management, we can confirm that most tree surgery occurs only in response to health and safety concerns, namely when the tree is likely to cause a danger to pedestrians or traffic.
Further, we can also confirm that Devon County Council has a policy of planting three trees for every large mature tree felled, but not necessarily at the same location.
5) Any useful contacts within the DCC regards trees, dendrology, green spaces, etc.
The Devon County Council Tree Officer is Bob Stevenson bob.stevenson@devon.gov.uk