In brief: A protected tulip tree at Bermuda House in Green Street, the new home of Jersey’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, may be cut back by 20%. A planning application has been submitted because the tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order. A specialist recommends the work take place in winter, outside the bird nesting season.
A Tight Spot for a Protected Tree
The tulip tree in question sits on what historic environment consultants Antony Gibb Ltd describe as a “constricted site” at Bermuda House in Green Street, where its branches are brushing against the building’s façade. The Jersey Evening Post reports that the tree has previously been cut back to maintain its size, suggesting this is not the first time its enthusiasm for growth has caused a degree of inconvenience.
Tree specialist Ian Averty, of Channel Island Tree Services, inspected the tree on 1 October and recommended a 20% reduction in its canopy to manage its size and keep it clear of the property. Because the tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order, formal planning permission is required before any work can go ahead. The application notes that the pruning would be carried out during winter, avoiding the bird nesting season, which is a sensible and standard precaution.
CAMHS Settles Into Its New Home
Bermuda House was adapted specifically for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which moved there this summer. The Jersey Evening Post reports that the building features 17 clinical rooms and was designed with more discreet access, reflecting feedback gathered directly from children and young people who use the service. That kind of thoughtful, user-led design is worth noting: when it works, it works.
The tree, for all its protected status, was presumably not consulted on the matter of its proximity to the building. Nevertheless, the planning process will now determine whether the proposed reduction is appropriate, balancing the interests of a valued specimen tree against the practical needs of a building housing a sensitive health service.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
