Tree felling regulations: Can I cut down trees on my property?

Photograph from the site of the felled tree

The cutting down of trees became the subject of a fierce controversy after Infobae España published information that Aedas Homes wanted to build 1,000 residential houses in Posuelo and to do so cut down more than 100 trees without the necessary authorization. The issue was raised by residents and Mas Madrid-Somos Posuelo to the police where they presented photos and videos as evidence.

Police officers ordered the construction company to suspend the construction of new residences until they receive the proper permits from the Municipality of Pozuelo to cut down trees. At this point, the company can only clean up and collect dry branches until the necessary procedures are finalized. But what''cutting down is the only possible alternative, the law requires an adult specimen of the same species to be planted for each year of the life of the felled tree.

In all these cases, however, it is necessary for the author of the cut down to provide the competent authority with information on the number, species, date and place where the planting will take place. In addition, he will have to report on the condition and development of the trees planted during the following year. In any case, the following steps should be followed before such action is taken.

The felling permit must be registered with the local authority in the place where these actions are planned. In addition, this can be done in two ways: online or in person.

Finally, light offenses will be considered violations of laws not mentioned in the previous offenses, as well as actions related to serious offenses but of low value and significance. In these cases, the fine will be between €300 and €10,000.

Besides''In addition, some trees may be trimmed if the crown shades heavily the interior of residences or if it is too close to electrical or telephone lines. A tree may also be allowed to be trimmed if it obstructs the visibility of traffic lights or poses a hazard to traffic or pedestrians.

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