Do You Need Planning Permission To Chop Down An Orchard?

[CluckyChick]

And can I do anything about it if someone has already destroyed an orchard without seeking planning permission?

[woofgang]

if its their orchard (or they have the owner’s permission) and the trees have no preservation order on they why not?

[jno]

on the face of it people can do what they like with their own trees; but if you think a change of use is planned, it might be worth checking with the council. Bit late to do anything about it, though.

[EDDIE51]

No, it is agricultural land and the owner can do anything with it as long as it is still agriculture use of some sort.
What he can't do is pull up the orchard and build houses or industrial units.
Planning permission is for Building not a change of agricultural use.

[woofgang]

Eddie, at our council, tree preservation orders and requests to work on TPO protected trees come under planning.

[CluckyChick]

For context, we're talking about an orchard that was 1-2 acres in England. Thanks guys.

[EDDIE51]

I agree with all of you on 'protected trees' but this is an orchard and orchards are planted and then pulled up and replanted when the trees are too old for the best yield. You don't have protected trees in an orchard, orchard trees are just another form of crop .

[woofgang]

If its not ancient trees or SSSI then its their land and their decision.

[Buenchico]

As has been suggested above, removing an orchard is no different on agricultural land to getting rid of wheat, hops, oilseed rape, vines or anything else. It's simply a crop.

[diddlydo]

If the orchard is in a Conservation Area, you need planning permission to touch any trees that are over a certain dimension (can't remember exact diameter but it's not very much and any fruit tree would definitely be bigger)

[murraymints]

sounds like that amount of land is being cleared for a development for which PP will be required..have you checked with your council ? any proposals will be advertised for objections if this is the case

[EDDIE51]

^ Utter rubbish!, Buenchico and I have already given the correct answer.
An orchard is just a crop as Buenchico tells us .

[EDDIE51]

That was to diddlydo
Murrymints , But as I said Orchards trees are routinely felled when they are too old to give the best crop of fruit and the orchard replanted with new trees.

[murraymints]

as Eddie and Chris have said..no pp required for clearing land only development and change of use..unless preservation order is in place, that is usually for single large ancient trees not a crop

[murraymints]

realised that Eddie :0)

[david small]

No

[EDDIE51]

The only problem here is that the orchard owner may be clearing the ground in the hope of getting planning permission to build on it. Chopping down the orchard does not need any permission from anyone, but change of use from agriculture to housing or industrial use does need permission.
The owner may be intending to leave the orchard ground unused and cleared for a few years so that a future planning application stands more chance of being granted. It is easier to get 'change of use' for a site that has not been used for agriculture for a few years than it is to get it for a site that is still being used to grow crops.