Natural Environment

What is the natural environment team?

We are a team of officers within Environmental Regeneration Services (Regeneration Directorate). Our expertise covers tree care and protection, nature conservation and landscape planning. A major part of the team’s work is the making of Tree Preservation Orders and assessing applications to fell or prune protected trees.

The team assesses the environmental impact of development on trees, wildlife and the landscape of Walsall. We work closely with colleagues in Planning, Legal Services and other parts of the Council.

What can I expect from the natural environment service?

General

We will respond to all letters and faxes within 15 working days of receiving them.
We will acknowledge all emails within one working day and provide a ﬁnal response within 15 working days of receiving them.
We aim to ensure all visitors who come to our reception see an ofﬁcer within ﬁve minutes of their arrival providing they have made an appointment.

Trees

The Council has powers to protect and conserve trees. We strive to engage in constructive dialogue with occupants of properties with protected trees and with tree surgeons in order to ensure that appropriate tree management is carried out.
We employ qualiﬁed, experienced tree ofﬁcers who are familiar with trees and related legislation and guidance.
We look for pragmatic solutions to tree management problems, but will also investigate and prosecute contraventions of tree protection legislation where necessary.
We provide advice to the Council’s Planning Service on the impact of proposed development on trees. Our advice will often result in the Council negotiating amendments to planning applications.
We encourage pre-application discussions, to allow you to make informed decisions about protected trees on your property or development proposals which may affect visually important trees.
We provide an even-handed and equitable service to all customers. Applications to fell or prune protected trees will usually be decided within the 8 weeks allowed by central government for trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order or the 6 weeks allowed for dealing with trees in a Conservation Area.

Nature conservation

The Council has a statutory requirement to take nature conservation into account when dealing with planning applications.
The Council cannot protect species and habitats unless it knows where they occur. Survey information is used to assess and grade sites which have nature conservation value and the more important ones receive appropriate levels of protection through the planning system.
We provide advice to the Council’s Planning Service on the impact of proposed development on nature conservation.
We encourage pre-application discussions, to ensure you make informed decisions about development proposals which may affect wildlife.
We provide information on best practice in nature conservation and advice on appropriate techniques for conservation work.

Landscape planning

The Council has to consider the design and appearance of development in the borough and will take landscape design into account when dealing with planning applications and formulating planning policy.
We provide advice to the Council’s Planning Service on the visual impact of proposed development.
We encourage pre-application discussions, to ensure you make informed decisions about the visual impacts of development proposals and ways in which adverse impacts can be reduced. We can provide information on best practice and how you can obtain appropriate landscape design advice.

What do you expect from me?

We need our customers to be aware of the value of trees, landscape design and our natural heritage. Imaginative incorporation of existing site features and an awareness of the importance of landscape design combine to produce meaningful and attractive solutions.
It is recommended that specialists such as ecological consultants and qualiﬁed and insured tree surgeons are employed to ensure that applications are technically competent.
We are always willing to meet and discuss proposals at pre application stage. We can provide information on best practice and how to obtain the appropriate design support. However, we recommended that you make an appointment to avoid a wasted journey to the Civic Centre.

What are your customer care standards?

We will handle your request promptly
We will maintain high accessibility and availability of service
We will provide an effective service that meets your needs
We will be fair and courteous regardless of ethnicity, disability or gender
We will be helpful and strive to go the extra mile to meet and/or exceed your expectations
We will provide all the information you require to satisfy your needs
We will ensure that our people are professional well trained and knowledgeable and where information systems are used such as kiosks, that the level of service is maintained
We will ensure that your request is owned by the first person you contact
We will fully protect your privacy and Information about you will be treated as confidential
We will strive to deliver what you need

How can I comment on the service?

Have we done a good job? Then ‘Tell Us’! We have a form on which you can make comments, suggest how we can improve services or make a formal complaint. These ‘Tell Us’ forms are available in all reception areas. If you prefer, contact us directly and we will send you one. If you have internet access, you can complete the form online at: www.walsall.gov.uk/tellus

How do I get in touch with you?

Write to us or visit us at:

Environmental Regeneration Services
Civic Centre
Darwall Street
Walsall
WS1 1DG

Telephone 01922 652480 (tree matters) or 01922 652469 (nature conservation and landscape planning)
Fax 01922 623234
Minicom 01922 652415
Translation service 01922 652426
Email envregen@walsall.gov.uk

or use our online contact form for general enquiries, request a service, compliments and complaints.

Opening hours

8.45am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday

This page was last updated on 03 January 2008