Bristol Tree Forum
bristoltreeforum.bsky.social
Bristol Tree Forum
@bristoltreeforum.bsky.social
We are a voluntary organisation dedicated to promoting the planting and preservation of trees in and around Bristol's wonderful urban forest.
Pinned
The Bristol Local Plan Examination is moving into its public hearings phase early next year: www.bristol.gov.uk/files/docume...

If you submitted a response to the latest consultation that concluded on 26 Jan last, you have a right to take part in the hearings as appropriate.
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www.bristol.gov.uk
In its Information Statement of October 2025 concerning its recent fencing works at Stoke Lodge Playing Fields, Cotham School has chosen to misunderstand our concerns about the welfare of the trees at Stoke Lodge Playing Fields.

Here is our response:

bristoltreeforum.org/2025/10/23/c...
Cotham School and the Stoke Lodge trees
In its Information Statement of October 2025 concerning its recent fencing works at Stoke Lodge Playing Fields, Cotham School has chosen to misunderstand our concerns about the welfare of the trees…
bristoltreeforum.org
October 23, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Paul Wood's excellent book - Tree Hunting - 1,00 Trees to Find in Britain and Ireland's Towns and Cities has just landed - thestreettree.com/.../tree-hun...
WeI particularly appreciated this section in the Bristol Section about the tree at the sadly-now-closed Bristol Zoo Gardens site.
May 27, 2025 at 1:45 PM
UK government admits almost no evidence nature protections block development

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
UK government admits almost no evidence nature protections block development
Whitehall analysis provides no data or research to support the government argument that environmental legislation holds up building
www.theguardian.com
May 7, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Reposted by Bristol Tree Forum
@bristolgreenparty.bsky.social @bristoltreeforum.bsky.social hi, why are a Green Party led council allowing 40 mature trees to be felled in BS3 today?
May 6, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Our request for trees on Yew Tree Farm to be protected with a TPO has been successful - as per this Pinpoint image - maps.bristol.gov.uk/pinpoint/ - (using an old 2016 aerial image).

Here are the trees we have mapped - bristoltrees.space/Tree/sitecod...
May 2, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Green Party calls on Labour to rule out building on Brislington Meadows: bristolgreenparty.org.uk/green-party-...

Thanks for your support.

However, Brislington Meadows has been an SNCI for years and has never lost its status.

We pointed this out ad nauseam before and during the appeal.
May 1, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Bristol's nature is being exported to far-away rural fields before our eyes. We need to stop this.

We have submitted a question to the Environment and Sustainability Policy Committee when it meets on 29 May 2025:

bristoltreeforum.org/wp-content/u...
bristoltreeforum.org
May 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
‘... the trees taking longer to remove than anticipated due to the strength of their roots ...’ Who’d have thought!

The trees were perfectly sound and stable and should never have been removed.

Such vainglorious folly!

www.bristol247.com/news-and-fea...
'Invisible' cycle lane to finally be made more visible
It comes as work to transform the Centre has been delayed
www.bristol247.com
May 1, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Now is the time to get the Heritage Trees Bill turned into law
bills.parliament.uk/publications...

We must try t stop this happening again.
April 18, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Reposted by Bristol Tree Forum
The illegal felling of the Whitewebbs Oak hashtag#whitewebbsoak

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQtp...
The illegal felling of the Whitewebbs Oak #whitewebbsoak
YouTube video by Ian Phillips
www.youtube.com
April 18, 2025 at 6:56 AM
The illegal felling of the Whitewebbs Oak hashtag#whitewebbsoak

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQtp...
The illegal felling of the Whitewebbs Oak #whitewebbsoak
YouTube video by Ian Phillips
www.youtube.com
April 18, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Brislington Meadows - Homes England Announcement:

Keepmoat has now been appointed as the developer for Brislington Meadows. They will now prepare a Reserved Matters planning application.

It is anticipated that work will start on-site in 2026.
April 14, 2025 at 12:24 PM
High Court ruling declares farming manure as ‘waste’ in major victory for River Action in its fight against industrial-scale poultry production in Wye Valley

riveractionuk.com/high-court-r...
High Court ruling declares farming manure as ‘waste’ in major victory for River Action in its fight against industrial-scale poultry production in Wye Valley - River Action UK
Landmark court ruling declares farming manure as ‘waste’ in major victory for River Action in...
riveractionuk.com
March 11, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by Bristol Tree Forum
This is very sad and all because the previous council and small minded ass covering council officers had no imaginations for future development and reuse of a cemetery.

They could have designed like in parts of Europe or New Orleans. Instead the UK's "greenest city" destroys its last farm.
March 1, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Developers Rule!
It looks like the Local plan examination hearings are going to be almost exclusively driven by developers:

www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/pl...

This is probably the most important decision to be made in the city for the next 10 years, yet the community is silent.
Local plan examination library: hearing statements
Statements produced by the council and participants in response to the Inspectors' Matters, Issues and Questions to be discussed at the examination hearing
www.bristol.gov.uk
February 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The grant for the Baltic Wharf development in Hotwells has been published. The s106 agreement is a disaster! They seem to have lost nearly £300K for starters - bristoltreeforum.org/wp-content/u....

We have pointed this and other issues out to the Council…but will they listen?
bristoltreeforum.org
February 7, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Reposted by Bristol Tree Forum
Good to see some early light cast on BNG schemes, which already look like an unfolding scandal, or likely to be shit-canned by our growth obsessed government.

If done properly could it be transformational, but it's ripe for cheating.

More useful BNG commentary at @bristoltreeforum.bsky.social
Scheme for developers to boost nature ‘failing’ in first year, campaigners warn
The amount of land delivering ‘biodiversity net gain’ linked to developments is falling well short of expectations, research suggests.
www.independent.co.uk
February 6, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Reposted by Bristol Tree Forum
A scheme requiring developers to boost nature when they build - known as biodiversity net gain - has only delivered a fraction of expected new habitat in its first year, campaigners say
www.independent.co.uk/climate-chan...
Scheme for developers to boost nature ‘failing’ in first year, campaigners warn
The amount of land delivering ‘biodiversity net gain’ linked to developments is falling well short of expectations, research suggests.
www.independent.co.uk
February 6, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Why? I’m completely stumped!
February 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Our updated analysis of the use of Biodiversity Gain Sites for offsetting habitats lost to development is as we feared. The trend is not encouraging; it looks like it will result in local nature, especially in urban settings, becoming hollowed out.

bristoltreeforum.org/2025/01/25/r....
Replacing lost biodiversity: a missed opportunity for local offsetting?
When developers cannot meet their obligation to replace habitat lost within their development site, plus at least 10%, they may buy habitat units to offset this lost habitat. These habitat units ar…
bristoltreeforum.org
February 2, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Bristol Tree Forum
What a perfect day to plant a new forest! 🌳
January 31, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Bristol Tree Forum
Latest analysis shows that, in Bristol, following the 24/00954/F grant at BS11 0YS, these habitats were exported to Biodiversity Gain Site BGS-290224001 which is outside Lewes, 123 miles away:
Heathland and shrub - Mixed scrub, 0.07 ha
Woodland and forest - Lowland mixed deciduous woodland, 0.28 ha.
January 31, 2025 at 12:19 PM