St Matthias Church Centre Babbacombe Road Torquay TQ1 1HW Data via plota.co.uk

AT/2026/0279 - Works To Tree Within TPO Registered
Trees & landscaping

Proposal

T1 Magnolia: Crown reduce the height and lateral spread by approximately 1 - 1.5m metres. Spread and height is currently 5m. Finished height and width will be approx 4m. Pruning branch tips back to suitable secondary growth points to retain a natural crown outline. Works to achieve a balanced canopy with no more than one-third of foliage removed in accordance with BS 3998:2010. These works are requested due to tree touching building and encroaching onto main entrance into church. Public footpath: T2 Plum: Fell 1x leaning stem to regain footpath width. Very small stem, growing directly into busy public footpath. All pruning cuts to be made at suitable growth points. All works carried out to BS 3998:2010 Tree Work Recommendations. Remove all cut material from site & return to a Teign Trees depot for recycling, leaving the area safe, clean & tidy. Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
6 Oct 2026
✓
Validated
12 Oct 2026
Decision
Expected by 7 Dec 2026

Under consideration

No decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision between 22 Nov 2026 and 30 Nov 2026, from Torbay's recent tree and landscaping works.

Comments are open until 9 Nov 2026

Comment on this application ↗

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Site constraints 8

Grade II* listed: Parish Church of St Matthias
List entry 1206840 · The pin is inside its outline · 3 more listed buildings within 150 m (3 Grade II)
Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Show the other 3 with distances
Historic England ↗
Lincombes conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Council document ↗
Tree preservation order: Several areas around Ilsham Village, Torquay
Consent is needed before work on protected trees.
Not every council has published its orders as open data, so no order shown is not proof there is none.
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Radon affected area, class 5
An estimated 10 to 30% of homes reach the radon action level. Indicative for the 1 km square, which takes the highest class found in it; a radon test gives the answer for a building.
From the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency indicative atlas. Under building regulations, as the BRE guide BR 211 (2023) sets out, new buildings and extensions need basic radon protection from class 3 in England and Wales and from class 2 in Scotland, and full protection from class 5. The class at the site itself, from the detailed BGS map, decides which.
UKHSA radon ↗
SSSI 103 m away: Kents Cavern SSSI
Natural England may need consulting, depending on what is proposed.
Sites of special scientific interest are the best wildlife and geological sites in the country. Development likely to harm one is rarely permitted.
Scheduled monument 150 m away: Kent's Cavern, Torquay
Its setting is a consideration for work nearby.
Nationally important archaeology protected by the Secretary of State. Work that affects the monument or its setting is rarely permitted.
Historic England ↗
Also on the record
Inside the Torquay built-up area.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt

Checked on 13 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council
Torbay
Application type
Works To Tree Within TPO
Postcode
TQ1 1HW
Received
6 Oct 2026
Validated
12 Oct 2026
Ward
Wellswood
Case officer
Show
Decision level
Delegated
Applicant
Show
Agent
Teign Trees

Decision outlook

Day 16 of the 56-day target. Torbay usually decides tree and landscaping works by day 43.

Day 1640 days to the 56-day target
99%decided within 8 weeks
85%approved
308decided in the last year

Plota live figures for tree and landscaping works decided by Torbay in the last twelve months, from validation. Torbay decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 20 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15276138
Planning Portal ref
PP-15276138
Comments by
9 Nov 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

28 previous applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

This property

Previous applications at this address

2022 Approved
T001 - Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris): fell to ground level on the recommendations of the at…
AT/2022/0281
2018 Approved
Redevelopment of external piazza, including removal of section of boundary wall, new sect…
P/2018/0007
2018 Withdrawn
Redevelopment of external piazza, including removal of section of boundary wall, new sect…
P/2018/0026
Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2025 Approved
Briary Mews Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PR
G1 - Consists of 3 Holme Oaks. Proposed lateral limb reduction of 1-2 meters to achieve s…
AT/2025/0200
2025 Approved
Barwood Lower Warberry Road Torquay TQ1 1QP
G01 - 2x cypress trees on raised bank above existing driveway entrance on edge of main ro…
AT/2025/0219
2025 Approved
Fonthill Lower Warberry Road Torquay
Lime (T1) - reduce the southern crown by up to 1.5 metres, with pruning cuts not exceedin…
AT/2025/0218
2025 Approved
443 Babbacombe Road Torquay TQ1 1HW
Semi mature ash tree within garden and over outbuildings and neighbouring properties, inf…
AT/2025/0146
2025 Approved
Briary Mews Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PR
T1 - Lime. lower overhanging branches breaching 5 meter minimum clearance from highway. P…
AT/2025/0011
2024 Refused
Tresco Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PX
Roof conversion to create new front and rear dormers roof extension. Ground floor renovat…
P/2024/0671
2024 Approved
Virginia Lodge Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PX
Fell dead / dangerous T1 Oak tree
AT/2024/0186
2023 Withdrawn
Tresco Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PX
Loft conversion with front and rear dormers. New slate roof and windows. Two front balcon…
P/2023/0502
2023 Refused
Barwood Lower Warberry Road Torquay TQ1 1QP
Construction of Two-Bedroom Dwelling.
P/2023/0307
2022 Withdrawn
Barwood Lower Warberry Road Torquay TQ1 1QP
New two-bedroom dwelling.
P/2022/1222
2022 Approved
Briary Mews Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PR
T1. Prune Oak tree by approx. 2.5 to 3m from branch tip to suitable growth point to achei…
AT/2022/0207
2022 Approved
Tosari Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PX
T1 Yew - Prune back last order branches within the outer part of the crown by 1,5 metres…
AT/2022/0149
2020 Refused
443 Babbacombe Road Torquay TQ1 1HW
Demolition of garage and replacement with combined garage, annexe accommodation and offic…
P/2020/1273
2021
444 Babbacombe Road Torquay TQ1 1HW
The Holm Oak in my garden excessively shades the morning sun and is higher than the adjac…
AT/2021/0233
2020 Approved
Glenside Lower Warberry Road Torquay TQ1 1QP
T2 Yew T3 Horse Chestnut T4 Yew -Looking for consent to revert to the position pertaining…
AT/2020/0259
2020 Approved
3 Fonthill Lower Warberry Road Torquay TQ1 1QP
Olive tree overshadowed and forced unnaturally to one side. The crown has been pushed to…
AT/2020/0193
2019 Approved
444 Babbacombe Road Torquay TQ1 1HW
Holm oak (T2) - Reduce in height by approximately 2.5m, to give a clearance of 1m below t…
AT/2019/0331
2019 Refused
443 Babbacombe Road Torquay TQ1 1HW
Demolition of garage and erection of replacement two storey building to contain garage, a…
P/2019/0320
2019 Approved
Tosari Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PX
T1 with hollow within lower part of the trunk. Lack of occlusion on the branch junctions…
AT/2019/0090
2019 Approved
Virginia Lodge Lower Erith Road Torquay TQ1 2PX
5 Day Dead/ Dangerous Notification Fell dead Lucombe Oak. See photos and map attached. Tr…
AT/2019/0108
2017 Withdrawn
Lyndhurst 443 Babbacombe Road Wellswood Torquay Torbay TQ1 1HW
T1: Cupressus Macrocarpa- Dismantle to ground levelT2: Cupressus Macrocarpa- Dismantle to…
AT/2017/0295
2017 Withdrawn
Rutland Lodge 448 Babbacombe Road Torquay TQ1 1HW
Change of use from B&B to dwelling house.
P/2017/0614
2017 Approved
Briary Mews Lower Erith Road Wellswood Torquay Torbay TQ1 2PR
T1: Lime- crown raise to 5m and reduce lateral limbs by 2.5m on SW aspectT2: Holm Oak- Cr…
AT/2017/0169
2017 Approved
St Matthias Church Centre Babbacombe Road Wellswood Torquay Torbay TQ1 1HW
T14: Beech- Removal
AT/2017/0146
2017 Approved
443 Babbacombe Road Wellswood Torquay Torbay TQ1 1HW
Row of Monterey cypress trees (G1) - Remove dead trees and reduce remainder of trees in h…
AT/2017/0098
Torbay
Planning Authority Score
1.9/10
Poor
#276 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Torbay is one of the slowest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #276 out of 296. 54% of applications have the time limit extended, above the 41% national average. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (90%) than the national average (90%).

Among the slowest councils in England
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Torbay decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
87%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #183 of 296
90%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #197 of 296
37%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #276 of 296
54%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #247 of 296
81%
Minor dwellings approved
53 decided (1-9 homes)
100%
Major dwellings approved
9 decided (10+ homes)
91%
Change of use approved
44 decided
529
Total decisions
68 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings