Save the Beech Hedge Avenue at Field Road

So the update is that the development by Persimmon Homes is well underway. A stop notice was issued to them fro SSDC regarding tree/hedge work hat didn't comply - am still waiting for details from SSDC as to why this was issued. Only good news is that about 3 (2 small and one larger) beech trees have been (so far) saved as I assume they are within the TPO'd trees root area which forms the tree protection area. We must all continue to fight to retain our trees! Thank you for all your help and support for trees in the community.

Thank you for all your support & for those who made the last minute demo on Sat 22nd Sept. https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/angry-residents-march-development-waving-2040050 Sadly our voices went unheard - i'm really sad to say all the beeches have been felled. We must keep up the fight for nature. Please continue to contact Persimmon Homes about their eco crime of putting £ greed before people & planet. And come to http://www.reimaginingthelevels.org.uk/rtl/book-now-for-our-trees-for-somerset-policy-and-action-conference-nov-7th-compton-dundon-village-hall to get trees into policy and planted in Somerset.

Please tell Persimmon Homes the destruction of the beech hedge avenue is not acceptable Steve Roche , Managing Director
Davidson House, 106 Newfoundland Way, Portishead, Bristol
BS20 7QE
01275 396 000

The Green Ecology Devon is according to SSDC the company taking down the trees for Persimmon Homes contact them on 01647253652 email [email protected] FB www.facebook.com/greenecologyconsulting
We need mature trees more than we need 10 extra houses! When the CEO is earning hundreds of millions of pounds this is not acceptable! Tell Persimmon Homes this is an eco crime.

The destruction/murder of the trees is underway near the footpath. Please walk the footpath and intervene - the Beech Hedge Avenue is being put through English Heritage to try and get it heritage status and save it but this process may take longer than it takes to cut them down!

Today a digger has arrived on site! A banner "Save our Beeches from Bulldozers" was erected last night. Please walk the public footpath today around the edge of the field and intervene if they go for the trees on the site.

Sad bad news I’m sorry to say from the SSDC regulation committee meeting today - outvoted by just 1 vote to pass the awful Persimmon Homes planning proposal. The councillors are clearly uneducated & don’t even know their own planning policies as this application 18/01257/REM by Persimmon Homes does not meet their planning policies EQ1 addressing climate change, EQ2 sustainable construction, EQ3 enhancing the historic significance to local distinctiveness, EQ4 Biodiversity protection & enhancement, EQ5 protecting & enhancing green infrastructure for enhancing quality of life benefits for local communities, EQ6 protecting trees & woodland, EQ7 pollution control in regards to air quality. One positive is they put in a condition for electric car charging for each dwelling but NO renewable energy or eco building materials! However we must still fight for the life of the beech hedge avenue while it lives! Please help and get in touch via www.facebook.com/SaveTheBeechHedgeAvenue Thank you!

Update: South Somerset District Council's Area North Committee re the Planning for https://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planningdetails/?id=1801257REM
After a lot of discussion between councillors and officers - a vote was carried..it was a 50:50 split between deferring the application to enable more evidence and changes to the application from Persimmon Homes and the other 50% of Councillors voting to recommend refusal. The chair had the casting vote and went for refusal. Initially this sounds great news, however it means that the decision now goes to the Regulation Committee who are tasked with not refusing more than 10% of planning applications, otherwise the government will take the planning decisions away from the District Council. So we still have a fight on our hands!
Please continue to share the petition and get even more people to sign!!

Dear Friends,
Rise to Action!
For those of you who haven't received a letter from the South Somerset District Council Planning department - there is a public meeting Next Wednesday 27th June from 2pm at the council offices, Brympton Way Yeovil where the council will decide on the planning applications by Persimmon Homes which if given the go ahead, will destroy the beech hedge avenue. We need as many people there as possible to stand up for the hedge and the biodiversity it supports. 
Please do come and tell the councillors and Persimmon Homes that it is not acceptable to destroy nature for profit. Biodiversity and many of our species are at a critical time where 1 in 5 species are predicted to go extinct within the next decade! We must protect their habitats before its too late!
So please join me next Wednesday to stand up for nature.
Many thanks and best eco wishes,
Cara Naden

Persimmon Homes have re-submitted 2 planning applications for the site - one to keep the outline planning application live for 80 homes and another for 94 homes on the site see:
https://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planningdetails/?id=1801257REM & https://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planningdetails/?id=1801249FUL
Please comment on both applications to retain the beech hedge.
Please also send an email to the District Councillor [email protected] with your views to ensure she votes in the planning committee to refuse the application for going against the planning policy EQ4 (Biodiversity) for protecting and enhancing biodiversity!

Please note, comments and objections need to be submitted via post or the SSDC website by 10th May 2018

Thank you for your help and support. Please encourage as many people as possible to sign and share this petition before the 10th May.

So the news from the planning committee meeting today is......................the councillors on Area North Planning Committee at South Somerset District council unanimously voted to refuse the planning application from Persimmon Homes - although the majority also agreed that the beech hedge was of biodiversity and health and wellbeing benefit and should be retained, because they had (almost 3 years ago now) given permission for outline planning where the presumption was the removal of the beech hedge, they couldn't now refuse planning on the grounds of the beech hedge. They refused on the fact that the application was over development for the site. So it's good news for now and the hedge lives on YAY! However please keep signing and sharing this petition as Persimmon Homes are most likely going to appeal or re-apply for an amended planning application and so need as many signatures as possible to send this petition to them. Thank you for your help and support.

Thank you for your support! Now at 250 signatures. Can we get to 300 before the end of the day? The council planning committee is tomorrow Wed 24th Jan and I would suggest arriving at the SSDC Council offices at Brympton Way, Yeovil for 2pm when I believe the meeting is likely to start - planning applications will be discussed in the meeting from 2.35pm. Hope to see you there to save the beech avenue!

Thank you for signing and supporting - only 8 signatures away from 200! Please do share and encourage others to sign too.
UPDATE: On Wednesday 24th January at 2.35pm in the South Somerset District Council offices Brypton Way, Yeovil BA20 2HT, this planning application 17/02694/FUL will be considered by the councillors to either reject or permit. This is a public meeting and you are allowed to attend and speak on the application. Any comments on this application need to be received 3 days prior to this meeting. So please do email your views to the district councillor [email protected] and/or send you comments via https://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planningdetails/?id=1702694FUL by Sunday 21st January. Thank you.

Were are almost at 200 signatures! Thank you all. Please keep sharing and encouraging others to sign so we can make it to 200 by Christmas. Do keep emailing the district councillor [email protected] and the planning department https://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planningdetails/?id=1702694FUL with your views to ensure that this wonderful historical beech hedge is retained.

Thanks to you all we have collected over 125 signatures. Please keep sharing and encouraging others in the community to sign - lets get to 200 this week!
Please do also remember to let the district council planning know your thoughts on the application here https://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planningdetails/?id=1702694FUL and/or contact the district councillor with your views to save the beech hedge from this development email: [email protected]
Thank you!