Babbacombe Cliff Beach Road Torquay TQ1 3LY Data via plota.co.uk

AT/2026/0220 - Works To Tree Within TPO Registered

Proposal

T004 Holm oak - Previous stem failure at 1m with decay established in remaining stems however appears relatively confined at present; smaller stem weighted towards low use seating area, failure of which considered for risk assessment - Reduce crown height by approx 3m to leave the tree at 15m. T006 Holm oak - Boundary tree; query re: ownership; form indicates history of crown management for clearance etc; adjacent timber framed building within dripline; 1x stem with heavy lean bias towards client property; history of development in close proximity indicates likely root damage; sub-optimal crown density for species and age; stereum species of fungus noted on 1x primary, east aspect - Reduce crown over adjacent property by 3m in lateral spread… Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

Received
25 Aug 2026
Decision
Expected by 20 Oct 2026

This application is under consideration - no decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision around 14 Oct 2026, from Torbay's recent tree and landscaping works.

Site constraints 8

Grade II listed: Babbacombe Cliff Hotel
List entry 1279510 · 0 m from the pin · 4 more listed buildings within 150 m (4 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 4 with distances
Historic England ↗
Babbacombe Downs 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 ↗
SSSI 34 m away: Babbacombe Cliffs 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.
Special area of conservation 209 m away: Lyme Bay and Torbay
Work nearby can need a habitats assessment.
Harm to a protected site is only accepted where there is no alternative and an overriding public interest.
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
Tree preservation order 11 m away: Walls Hill Road, Torquay; Inside the Torquay built-up area; Priority habitat 37 m away: Deciduous woodland.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 11 September 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England 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 3LY
Received
25 Aug 2026
Validated
25 Aug 2026
Ward
St Marychurch
Case officer
Show
Decision level
Delegated
Applicant
Show
Agent
RSK Hi-Line Ltd

Decision outlook

Day 20 of the 56-day target. Torbay usually decides tree and landscaping works by day 50.

Day 2036 days to the 56-day target
98%decided within 8 weeks
78%approved
160decided 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 11 Sept 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15166216
Env. assessment
No
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