‘Important’ Monifieth trees to be protected after council order

Angus Council has moved to protect “important” trees which straddle Monifieth’s raised beach escarpment.

It comes after the authority received a planning application for a new home in the large garden of 72 Hill Street, which contains a number of trees that form part of a larger collection between High Street and Hill Street.

Councillors agreed to apply a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) to ensure the specimens, which include a large weeping willow and a deodar cedar, are not removed or altered.

The council’s head of housing, Stewart Ball, said: “The raised beach escarpment and the trees commonly growing on it is a prominent feature running through the centre of Monifieth.

“The trees provide a backdrop to the High Street and are prominent in the townscape.

“The house (at 72 Hill Street) has a large garden which straddles the raised beach escarpment between High Street and Hill Street and includes trees which are an important part of this townscape feature.”

Councillors were told the south-eastern edge of the garden, neighbouring Holy Trinity Church, featured a belt of mixed, mostly conifer trees which provided a backdrop to the listed building and strongly defined its setting.

Mr Ball said the order was considered necessary to control tree works during consideration of the application.

Trees to the east of the site at Greenbourne and Greenbourne Gardens are already protected by a TPO which further constrains where development can take place without significant adverse impacts upon them.