I'm only on a couple of committees at Stafford Borough and I was told that neither of them meet very often! So I may have been a bit gullible because this morning I attended the first meeting of the Public Appeals committee.
This was to determine an appeal against a Tree Preservation Order made in respect of six trees on a site off Newcastle Road. I had been supplied with a very full set of papers a few days ago which contained all the necessary background information, photographs and a plan. Before the hearing we all got onto a minibus and travelled to the site where we conducted a very thorough inspection of the trees in great detail and from every angle. Then it was back onto the bus and back to Stafford for the hearing.
This was a very professional affair with the Borough's 'treeman' putting the case for the Order and the site owner's expert arguing against it. When we had heard all the evidence, the 'witnesses' left the room and we pondered the issues.
I was so impressed by the way in which we reached a decision. Well chaired and well advised by the legal advisor, the committee reached a decision to confirm the TPO's in a most structured and thoughtful way. I've always wondered how magistrates and juries reach decisions behind their closed doors! Well, for the first time, I was involved in a similar process and it was reassuring to witness how well it was done.
