after 13 minutes of my life wasted in various telephone queues/press 1 now etc i managed to get to speak to a person. not the one that signed the letter as they were off on flexitime/hol/scive and wouldnt be back till tuesday. he was flummoxed and kept asking it is just garden landscaping your proposing isnt it.
it seems the qualified/certified tradesman bit is for building/gas/electricarry work and someones just done a cut and paste job and sent it out.
i can diy and all i have to do is send them a plan of what i want to do etc and it should be a formality.
i got the impression from him that your first thought applys joss.