On 14 May 2025, I submitted formal evidence to the Council showing that the development at Tamar Nurseries is not what it appears to be.

This is not a case of poor paperwork or planning confusion. It is a deliberate, coordinated strategy — a textbook case of planning by stealth.

The developer, Anglia Construction Ltd — a domestic building company with no horticultural history — is installing industrial-scale infrastructure including sealed tanks, internal roads, and a proposed 6.6 million litre reservoir, while removing ecological constraints and avoiding public scrutiny. Anglia Construction Ltd — the applicant and part of the Fountain Group — is the same construction firm involved in converting the former Tamar site into 49 residential houses.

What We Now Know
A 100-year-old willow tree — likely classed as irreplaceable habitat — was felled without consent.
A historic double hedgerow, likely protected under the Hedgerows Regulations, was also removed.
Neither were declared in the current planning application — and the enforcement case was closed without referring to the ongoing police investigation (Crime Ref: 36/46190/24).
A concrete access track and large tank were installed without permission — aligning precisely with a previously refused access point.
There is no declared access route for the infrastructure now being proposed.
This isn’t about water or plants. It’s about incrementally transforming greenfield land into a logistics or housing site, then retroactively legitimising the damage.

The land remains officially classified as agricultural, yet it now hosts sealed water tanks, industrial road surfacing, and a proposed 6.6 million litre reservoir — all inconsistent with any genuine horticultural purpose. These features suggest the land is being strategically transformed to enable future commercial or residential reclassification, without declaring this intent.

Crucially, this process began with the removal of ecologically protected features. The Council’s own Biodiversity Net Gain Officer has confirmed that the felled willow tree likely constituted Irreplaceable Habitat under the Environment Act 2021. A historic double hedgerow, also removed, may have been protected under the Hedgerows Regulations 1997.

Neither was disclosed in the planning application. These losses — and the infrastructure that followed — reflect a clear strategy: to remove the natural and legal barriers that would normally prevent development, and then use retrospective planning to cover the tracks.

 Not Just One Site — And Not Just One Developer
This model — ecological clearance, retrospective applications, and planning misrepresentation — is designed to be repeatable.

It is no coincidence that John Huibers, former owner of Tamar Nurseries and Huverba (UK) Ltd, resigned shortly before the current application was submitted. Control was transferred to a newly created company — Tamar Holdings 2024 Ltd, directed by the Lawrence family, who are now responsible for the unauthorised infrastructure.

This corporate transfer was not declared in the planning application, a likely breach of NPPF §57 and TCPA s.70(2), which require transparency about the applicant’s identity and intentions.

 
🧭 The Council Has Choices — So Do Policymakers
Let’s be clear: they are not powerless.

The Council can:

✅ Reopen enforcement case 25/00083/HEDGE (felled tree and hedgerow),
✅ Refuse or pause planning application 25/00436/FM,
✅ Link enforcement case 25/00117/UNOPDE (unauthorised tank and ditch),
✅ Issue a Stop Notice under TCPA s.183,
✅ Require a full, cumulative site review — not piecemeal approvals.

 Inaction is not a lack of options — it’s a decision. And it comes with consequences.

 
🗣 We Demand Action
We call on the Council to:

• Reopen the enforcement case on the felled willow and hedgerow.
• Pause the current planning application,
• Launch a site-wide investigation into undeclared works and corporate misrepresentation.
• And uphold planning law before more irreversible damage is done.

This is about more than trees. It’s about protecting biodiversity, restoring public trust, and ensuring our planning system works for the public, not developers gaming the system.

 
What You Can Do to Help
🔹 Share this petition with three friends — awareness builds pressure, and every signature strengthens the case.

🔹 Comment on planning application 25/00436/FM – object to the undeclared harm and ask the Council to reopen enforcement and pause the application.
💬 Click here to comment

 
 Need help with wording? Copy and paste this example:

I am writing to express concern about the unauthorised development and ecological harm at Tamar Nurseries. A 100-year-old willow tree was felled, hedgerows removed, and infrastructure installed — all without proper planning disclosure.

These works now align with planning application 25/00436/FM, which omits key infrastructure and access details. I support the call to:

Reopen enforcement case 25/00083/HEDGE
Pause application 25/00436/FM
Investigate undeclared works and developer misrepresentation
This case demands transparency and accountability. Please act now.

 
🔹 Tag your councillors on social media — ask why protected trees were felled without consequence, and demand answers.

🔹 Stay connected — this fight is growing, and we’ll need your voice again soon.

 
📄 Read and Share the White Paper
I’ve published a detailed White Paper exposing how developers are bypassing planning law and harming ecosystems without consequences. This is not just about one field — it’s about whether environmental law is being upheld in Britain at all.

👉 Download the 1-page summary or full version here
📤 Please share it with your MP, local councillors, journalists, or organisations concerned with planning justice and public accountability.

 
Thank you for standing with me. The truth is out — and we won’t let them bury it.

– Aisha