Notified Resource Consent: Notable Plane Trees on Oxford Street, Levin

Horowhenua District Council withdraws Notified Resource Consent application for tree removal

Horowhenua District Council has withdrawn its application to remove 27 London Plane trees along Oxford Street, Levin, spanning 300 meters from Queen Street West to Devon Street. This decision follows extensive community consultation and feedback, which closed on 2 May 2023.

Council reviewed 120 submissions, with 88 opposing the tree removal.

Due to community feedback, the significant costs and low likelihood of obtaining consent, Council has made the decision to withdraw the application.

Council is exploring alternative solutions like pollarding and root trimming to address the issues while preserving the trees. 

For more information, read the media release here.

Horowhenua District Council has received a resource consent application for the removal of 27 Notable Plane Trees on Oxford Street, Levin for consideration. The details of the application are outlined below.

Details of the proposed activity

The applicant seeks to remove twenty-seven (27) of the thirty-eight (38) Platanus x acerfolia (Plane trees) planted along Oxford Street (SH1).

These plane trees are in the road corridor along Oxford Street (SH1) between Queen Street West and Devon Street, across a distance of 300 metres.

These plane trees have Notable Tree status under the Horowhenua District Plan and are identified as NT23 – NT34 and NT47 – NT60.

The removal of the trees would consist of cutting each tree off at the base, grinding the stumps to sit below the adjoining asphalt level and their former locations then re-sealed in asphalt, and where practicable, converted back into parking spaces. The application includes an Assessment of Environmental Effects, an Arboricultural Assessment and an Assessment of Landscape and Visual Effects. These documents are available below, and are also available for inspection at the following locations during opening hours:

• Horowhenua District Council Main Office (126 Oxford Street, Levin)
• Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō (10 Bath Street, Levin) 
• Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom (92 Main Street, Foxton)
• Shannon Library (Plimmer Terrace, Shannon)

Supporting documentation

Application Form and Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE)(PDF, 12MB)
Arboricultural Assessment(PDF, 5MB)
Aerial Plan of Notable Trees to be Removed(PDF, 169KB)
Assessment of Landscape and Visual Effects(PDF, 40MB)
Notification Decision(PDF, 792KB)

Submissions closed

Submissions closed at 4.45pm on Tuesday 2 May 2023.

Submissions (electronic or hard copy) must have been made in writing in the form prescribed (Form 13).

Any person was able to make a submission on the application, but a person who is a trade competitor of the applicant could do so only if that person is directly affected by an effect of the activity to which the application relates that:

(a) adversely affects the environment; and
(b) does not relate to trade competition or the effects of trade competition.

Submitters must serve a copy of their submission to Horowhenua District Council (HDC) Community Experience and Services Group (the Applicant), as well as HDC’s Planning Team (Consent Authority). On receipt of any submissions delivered to HDC via the address for service provided, the hearings administrator will deliver a copy of the submission to the Applicant as well as to the Planner at the Horowhenua District Council.