Eland House, Bressenden Place
London SW1E 5DU

File ref: GONW/319/2 /34

To: The Right Honourable John Prescott M.P.,
Deputy Prime Minister, First Secretary of State

Sir;

I have been asked to advise on the appeal by Mr. L.Chryseliou under The City Council of Liverpool (Aymestry Court Special School-Acrefield Road (25)) Tree Preservation Order 1990, against the refusal of Liverpool City Council to permit the felling of two pine trees of the above order, on land between numbers 32 and 38 Hunts Cross Avenue, Liverpool, and to carry out an inspection of the site on your behalf. On 7 January 2004, I made an accompanied site visit in the presence of Mr. Chryseliou the appellant, Mr. A Smith his agent, and Ms Sheridan Scott and Mr. Rowlands from the local authority.

1. This report contains a description of the appeal trees and their surroundings and my appraisal (on the basis of my observations and the written representations of the parties) of the likely impact of the proposal. It is illustrated by various photographs which are attached, together with a plan showing the positions from which these photographs were taken.

Site and surroundings

2. Hunts Cross Avenue is a wide residential avenue in the district of Gateacre on the eastern outskirts of the City of Liverpool, approximately 6 miles from the city centre. Not very far to the east there is open land which includes golf courses. Houses in the avenue are a variety of pre and post war semi-detached and detached residences. The wide central carriageway and the wide verges along with the sizes and styles of the house give an up-market impression. The avenue is straight from end to end - both ends are cul-de sacs - running from north-west to south-east and is fairly level, with possibly a very slight gradient from NW-SE.

3. The well kept gardens of the houses contain many trees, mostly small, semi-mature and young mature specimens, including birch, cedar, cherry and maples, and this gives an unbroken green (in summer) woody fringe on both sides of the avenue (photo.9). There are also some larger trees, principally Corsican pine. At the northern end of the cul de sac there is a block of tall cypresses marking the end.

4. The site of the appeal trees is a building plot between numbers 38 and 32, and one house is in the early stages of construction (photos. 1,8 & 11). The plot is an irregular shape, and is on a slight gradient from rear to front (west-east), as can be seen from the fence line boundary with number 32 (photo. 7). The house is only as far as the foundation stage, but with the floor slab in place, which is suspended, giving access beneath from the front (photo. 1). The house is toward the front of the plot, which will leave a sizeable area for a rear garden. Substantial excavation has been done in order to accommodate the building, the remaining parts of original ground level being visible around the edges, and a portion on the northern side, on which there are four pine trees, two of them the appeal trees. A fifth pine is in the garden of 'Redboume Hotel' to the rear, and is in a line with the other 4. (photo.4). The plot measures 24.5m across the rear boundary, reducing to approx 10m at the front, and is bounded at the sides and rear by an old picket fencing.

continued . . .