Council secures possession order evicting environmental protesters at development site – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has granted the London Borough of Islington a possession order for a development site where protesters are occupying a copse scheduled for destruction.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

HS2 may be guilty of ‘wildlife crime’ by felling trees illegally, say lawyers – The Guardian

Posted October 14th, 2020 in animals, environmental protection, news, railways, transport, trees, trespass by sally

‘Lawyers have warned HS2 it might be felling trees illegally, after an ecology report found evidence of one of the UK’s rarest bat species in an area of ancient woodland being cleared for the high-speed rail line.’

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The Guardian, 10th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK sets out law to curb illegal deforestation and protect rainforests – The Guardian

Posted August 25th, 2020 in bills, environmental protection, news, trees by sally

‘The government has announced plans to introduce a new law to clamp down on illegal deforestation and protect rainforests by cleaning up the UK’s supply chains.’

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The Guardian, 25th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council loses Court of Appeal battle over personal injury claim following tree root trip in park – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 2nd, 2020 in footpaths, local government, news, parks, personal injuries, trees by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has found that a council was liable for an injury suffered by a claimant when she tripped on a tree root on a path constructed in a park by one of its predecessor authorities.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Churchwardens, pine cones and a cheeky squirrel – Law & Religion UK

Posted September 11th, 2019 in Church of England, ecclesiastical law, health & safety, news, trees by tracey

‘The short, 2-page judgment Re St Peter West Blatchington [2019] ECC Chi 4 will be of interest to those with the responsibilities for the care and maintenance of churchyards.’

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Law & Religion UK, 10th September 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Sheffield tree activists in legal talks to get convictions quashed – The Guardian

‘Move comes after investigation into city council found it fell far short of good practice.’

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The Guardian, 24th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

How outdated tree-felling laws are putting rare woodland wildlife at risk – The Independent

Posted December 13th, 2018 in animals, environmental protection, forestry, licensing, news, trees by tracey

‘A loophole in the Forestry Act means the habitats of protected species can be cut down – no matter how rare, how vulnerable or how much effort has gone into the regional conservation of the animal.’

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The Independent, 13th December 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Council prosecution sees property owner fined £18k over Japanese knotweed – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 10th, 2018 in fines, local government, news, nuisance, prosecutions, trees by sally

‘A Bristol property owner has been fined £18,000 for allowing the spread of Japanese knotweed, after what is thought to be one of the first prosecutions nationally using the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to tackle the issue.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th December 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Sheffield tree protest council has legal costs of £413k – BBC News

Posted September 3rd, 2018 in costs, demonstrations, environmental protection, jurisdiction, news, trees by sally

‘More than £413,000 has been spent by Sheffield City Council on legal proceedings against tree felling protestors, the BBC has learned.’

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BBC News, 3rd September 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Knotty Issue of Knotweed – Henderson Chambers

Posted August 9th, 2018 in news, nuisance, railways, trees by sally

‘According to the Crop Protection Association one in ten cases of Knotweed infestation cost property owners more than £4,000, one in five cases see the value of the affected property fall and three in five cause property damage.’

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Henderson Chambers, 27th July 2018

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Court of Appeal Attempts to Cut Gordian Knot(weed) – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted August 9th, 2018 in news, nuisance, railways, trees by sally

‘Common law private nuisance cases involving the invasive non-native plant, Japanese knotweed (JK), received a considerable amount of attention in the county court in 2017 and 2018. In the joined cases of Williams v Network Rail Infrastructure Limited (B20YX969) and Waistell v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd [2017] UK CC, Mr Recorder Grubb, sitting in Cardiff County Court, awarded damages to the claimants for loss of amenity on the basis that JK on the defendant’s land had diminished the value of the claimants’ land by reason of it rendering the claimants’ land less acceptable as security for mortgage lending, even in the event of the JK on the defendant’s land having been treated (see Article, Japanese knotweed nuisance in the light of Waistell and Smith v Line).’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 6th August 2018

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Japanese Knotweed and Private Nuisance – Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd v Williams [2018] EWCA Civ 1514 – No. 5 Chambers

Posted August 7th, 2018 in news, nuisance, railways, trees by sally

‘Over the past few years there has been increasing awareness about the threat posed by Japanese knotweed and new measures have been introduced to combat its spread.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 16th July 2018

Source: www.no5.com

Gordian Knot(weed) – Nearly Legal

Posted July 6th, 2018 in damages, injunctions, news, nuisance, railways, trees by tracey

‘Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd v Williams & Anor (2018) EWCA Civ 1514. Japanese knotweed nuisance cases – there are already many of these and (given the nature of the pestilential stuff) there will be more. In case you don’t know, Japanese knotweed is an invasive weed that is all but impossible to eradicate (and must be done by licensed organisations). It grows quickly through spreading underground rhizomes and can affect structures if growing within 7 metres of their foundations. It’s presence has to be disclosed on any sale of a property.’

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Nearly Legal, 4th July 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Japanese knotweed nuisance in the light of Waistell and Smith v Line – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted June 20th, 2018 in damages, injunctions, news, nuisance, railways, trees by sally

‘Two recent County Court decisions have grappled with the issue of Japanese knotweed (JK) in the context of private nuisance claims between neighbouring landowners. The first was the judgment of Mr Recorder Grubb in Cardiff in respect of two separate actions with a common defendant: Williams v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd (B20YX969) and Waistell v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd (B34YJ849) (together Waistell). Still more recent was the judgment of HHJ Carr in Truro in Smith and another v Line (CTR00216) (Smith v Line), which was widely reported, albeit not entirely accurately, in the broadsheet and tabloid newspapers at the time of the hearing.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 11th May 2018

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Court of Appeal: No duty of care on council to control roadside vegetation – Litigation Futures

Posted May 14th, 2018 in duty of care, local government, news, roads, trees by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has rejected an attempt by a cyclist to impose a duty of care on central or local government to prevent roadside vegetation from impairing visibility for road users, saying there would “potentially serious and costly consequences” in doing so “for very little practical gain”.’

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Litigation Futures, 9th May 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Businessman illegally raised value of home by chopping down protected trees – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 2nd, 2018 in environmental protection, news, proceeds of crime, sale of land, trees by tracey

‘A wealthy businessman illegally cut down 11 protected trees on his land to give himself a bigger back garden, a court has heard.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd May 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The felling of protest? – UK Police Law Blog

‘In Sheffield City Council v Fairhall [2017] EWHC 2121 (QB), the Court has been asked to consider the extent to which the decision in DPP v Jones [1999] UKHL 5; [1999] 2 AC 240 can be relied upon as a right to conduct peaceful but disruptive protest on the highway.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 30th September 2017

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

Judges order fresh hearing in row over damage caused by protected tree – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 13th, 2017 in appeals, compensation, local government, news, trees, tribunals by tracey

‘The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) must reconsider a case in which it awarded compensation of £25,000 against South Gloucestershire Council over damage caused by an oak made subject to a tree preservation order (TPO), the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th September 2017

Source: localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Roadside Trees – Local Government Law

Posted February 22nd, 2017 in accidents, local government, negligence, news, trees by sally

‘In Cavanagh v Witley Parish Council, Queen’s Bench Judgment on 14 February 2017, the Parish Council was found liable in negligence when a large mature lime tree on its land, with severe and extensive decay in the root system extending into the base of the trunk, fell across a road and onto a bus, causing the driver severe injury. It was a busy public road. The tree, which leant towards the road, and was over 20 metres high, was in a high risk position alongside the road, albeit, on cursory observation, in a healthy condition. It required regular inspection by a competent arboriculturalist. The Council’s three-yearly inspection policy with regard to its tree stock was “inadequate”. Inspection should have been more frequent. The Council had been advised to do the survey every two years. The local Borough Council had at the relevant time been operating a one-year inspection in respect of trees in high-risk areas, including apparently healthy trees.’

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Local Government Law, 21st February 2017

Source: www.11kbw.com/blogs/local-government-law

£2 million legal battle over damage from sticky lime sap – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 5th, 2016 in news, nuisance, trees, trespass by sally

‘A wealthy solicitor is embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with his neighbour over a lime tree he claims is damaging his £1.3 million home and smearing unsightly sap over his windows.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd December 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk