The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Council call for action to preserve trees near Perth Crematorium
Firm ordered to address breach of planning conditions
The construction firm leading a £35 million overhaul of Perth’s roads network has been reprimanded by council officers after failing to protect trees near the city’s crematorium.
Balfour Beatty was ordered to take urgent action over a breach of planning conditions, or face a £1,000 penalty.
Concerns were raised that ongoing work on the A9/A85 junction is putting trees on the old crematorium road at risk.
Perth and Kinross Council accused the firm of not putting in place the tree protection plan it had agreed when planning consent was passed in 2016.
Balfour Beatty was given seven days to put fencing in place to safeguard trees, as well asset up a construction exclusion zone to further protect underground roots.
A tree expert was also brought in to assess the impact on a grove of six trees on a section of the crematorium road where tarmac was removed.
A local authority spokeswoman said they were now happy that the company had taken steps to address the complaint and that none of the protected trees were affected.
During the first stage of the work early last year, the council was bombarded by complaints over large-scale tree felling near the crematorium.
The work, which involved the removal of about 500 trees, was formally part of work to create a new access road for the crematorium.
The council’s spokeswoman said: “The breach of condition notice serviced on Balfour Beatty relates to two elements: Tree protection fencing across the A9/ A85 junction site for preservation of the root protection zone, as well as specific works on a small section of the former Perth Crematorium road where tarmac road surface was removed.”
The council confirmed that the company had now carried out a site-wide review of fencing.
She added: “We will continue, as would be appropriate for a project of this scale, to monitor compliance with the agreed planning conditions.”
Balfour Beatty declined to comment further.
Construction on the new roads, which began in October 2016,will provide a crucial new link to development land at Bertha Park.
The new road is expected to open in March next year.
We will continue, as would be appropriate for a project of this scale, to monitor compliance with the agreed planning conditions. COUNCIL SPOKESWOMAN