Jersey tree cutting rule change proposals 'too strict'

Islanders attended a meeting at St Brelade's parish hall on Tuesday to give their views on the policy

A Jersey tree surgeon says proposed exemptions in a new law to protect trees are "too strict" and will "lead to delays".

Joel Freire was reacting to new legislation requiring government permission to cut down some trees.

Islanders attended a meeting at St Brelade's parish hall on Tuesday to give their views on the exemptions, which are still to be decided.

Proposer deputy Jonathan Renouf said there was still time for feedback.

The environment minister said: "I am prepared to consult as intensively and thoroughly and in the best way I can in order that the rules meet that balance between tree surgeons on the one hand wanting to do their work in a way that is unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucracy, and on the other hand protecting trees in the landscape."

The government's public consultation into the exemptions ends on 7 May.

Trees exempt under the rules could be those that pose a danger to islanders, pose a threat to buildings, diseased trees and those with less than a 3.1in (8cm) diameter.

'Sledgehammer to crack nut'

Mr Freire said the rules were too strict, and exemptions would not change that.

He said: "It could potentially be the twig that breaks the tree surgeon's back - it's going to cause massive delays, especially to someone like myself who employs people we need to juggle.

"This is a sledgehammer to crack a nut... I think this law will cause a tree to be a liability or burden for some people."

Exempt trees include those upended by a storm, diseased trees, and those posing a threat to buildings

Infrastructure minister Tom Binet attended the meeting in a non-official capacity, and said the policy "was an insult to everyone in the room who loved trees and loved planting them".

Islander David Williams said he did not think people were "fully aware of the implications, because it is talking about prohibiting you from chopping down any shrub, tree, branch, without getting planning permission".

But Alex Morel, campaigner at Trees for Life, said concerns were misplaced.

"For things like every day maintenance of your trees, it is not going to change - this is about protecting trees being felled unnecessarily when they are completely healthy and mature," she said.

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