Land At Malton Way Fronting Blackhurst Lane Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent Data via plota.co.uk

26/01231/TPO - Tree Preservation Order Decided

Proposal

TREES: Part A - Oak (T2) - reduce crown overhang/growth by 2- 3m. Beech (T1), crown lift over garden to 6m by removing branches to trunk collars Part B - Beech (T1) and Oaks (T2 and T3) - cut branches to boundary Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
1 Jun 2026
✓
Validated
2 Jul 2026
✓
Consultation
15 Jul 2026
✓
Split - Part Allowed/Part Refused
24 Aug 2026

Split - Part Allowed/Part Refused on 24 Aug 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 26 Aug 2026

Site constraints 7

Green belt: London
Inappropriate development needs very special circumstances.
Green belt policy allows a short list of exceptions, such as limited extensions and replacement buildings. Anything else needs very special circumstances that clearly outweigh the harm. Some green belt land can count as grey belt, where it does not strongly serve the green belt's purposes. The council decides this in its green belt assessment or on each application, so we do not mark it here.
Read the government guidance ↗
Priority habitat: Deciduous woodland
A habitat of principal importance. It shapes the ecology work and the biodiversity net gain a scheme has to show.
Agricultural land, grade 1
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. A site survey can differ.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Habitat network: Ancient Semi Natural Woodland
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
National landscape 14 m away: High Weald
Outside the landscape; its setting can still be raised.
Previously an area of outstanding natural beauty, which is still the designation in law. Since 2023 authorities must seek to further its purpose, not merely have regard to it.
Ancient woodland 15 m away
Inside the 15 m buffer standing advice asks for from the boundary.
National policy refuses development that would cause loss or deterioration of ancient woodland or ancient trees unless there are wholly exceptional reasons.
Also on the record
SSSI 447 m away: Pembury Cutting and Pit SSSI.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · No listed building at the site · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 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

Application type
Tree Preservation Order
Postcode
TN2 4QE
Received
1 Jun 2026
Validated
2 Jul 2026
Ward
Sherwood
Case officer
Show
Target decision
27 Aug 2026
Decision
Split - Part Allowed/Part Refused
Decision date
24 Aug 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14973042
Planning Portal ref
PP-14973042
Comments by
5 Aug 2026
Site or press notice
15 Jul 2026
Statutory expiry
27 Aug 2026
Env. assessment
No
Tunbridge Wells
Planning Authority Score
8.7/10
Excellent
#13 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Tunbridge Wells is one of the fastest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #26 out of 296. Only 25% of applications have the time limit extended, well below the 41% national average - the council usually decides on time. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (96%) than the national average (90%).

Among the fastest councils in England
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Tunbridge Wells decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
93%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #69 of 296
96%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #63 of 296
84%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #26 of 296
25%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #32 of 296
85%
Minor dwellings approved
150 decided (1-9 homes)
82%
Major dwellings approved
11 decided (10+ homes)
96%
Change of use approved
47 decided
1,178
Total decisions
83 refused in the year to March 2026