Baillie Gate Queens Drive Ilkley West Yorkshire LS29 9QW

Proposal

T1) Hinoki Cypress. Fell and replace. The tree is quickly outgrowing a retaining rockery bank. It has an extreme bur around the base / root flare which is now displacing the large boulders from which it's grown. It is not the more common dwarf Hinoki found in uk gardens. But believed to be a Chamaecyparis Obtusa, which have been recorded at 80 feet tall in the uk so a considerable further amount to grow. Making the current and potential issues/damage much worse as it matures. It is located on the west/windward side of the house and increasingly encroaching the property. It is very close to an historical garden arch feature which is the principal access to the side garden. And it blocks all light to the patio area and down the side of the house which is a designated seating area. The frontage and main access to the side garden is flagged. The roots have again lifted the flags, which have been continually re pointed over recent years. The area of damage the roots are causing is growing larger each year. It is a constant worry for the applicants that someone will trip over the lifted edges, which are located at the top of stone steps. Many options have been considered, but there is no satisfactory way of raising the level of the area to accommodate raised roots, without compromising the safe access to the steps and side garden. The tree is not visible nor valuable to the surrounding area. Loss would be negligible on the whole, but significant for the applicants long term safety and structural concerns, as the tree matures. For longevity and continuity of tree numbers within the garden, request to replant with a 12-14ft Cherry or Damson within 4m of the removal, or whatever the tree officer deems suitable as the condition for removal.