TREE PRESERVATION ORDERS EXPLAINED

If you love your trees but worry about the rules around pruning or removal, you’re not alone. In the UK, Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) protect valuable trees and woodlands. They are great for the environment, but potentially daunting if you’ve got a cracked limb over the driveway or roots encroaching on your foundations.

As expert tree surgeons, P And P Trees help homeowners, landlords and site managers stay safe, legal and leafy. Our certified arborists handle everything from light pruning to complex removals, ensuring your tree surgery is compliant, efficient and fully insured.

What are Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s)?

A Tree Preservation Order is a legal order made by your Local Planning Authority (LPA) to protect specific trees or groups of trees, because of their amenity value. If a tree is covered by a TPO, it is an offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot, wilfully damage or destroy it without the LPA’s written consent.

Key Points

TPO’s can apply to any species, regardless of size. They protect trees on private and public land. Consent is required for most work, even light pruning.

Do Tree Preservation Orders stop all work?

No! Necessary and well justified work is often approved, especially when it improves safety or long-term tree health. The key is obtaining consent with a clear, professional specification.

Common examples where consent may be granted:

• Removing fractured, dead or dangerous branches where there’s risk to people or property
• Crown reduction or thinning to improve structure and stability
• Root management where foundations or utilities are threatened
• Removing poor quality specimens to allow better trees to thrive in woodland

Exemptions and emergencies

• Some works may be allowed without prior consent, but strict rules apply:
• Dead trees and dead branches: Generally exempt, but you must be able to evidence the condition. Notify the LPA (often a 5-day notice is recommended) and keep records.
• Immediate risk: Minimum work needed to remove a serious and immediate danger may be carried out. Again, document everything, photos, dates, and an assessment from a certified arborist.
• Fruit trees: Certain pruning for fruit production in line with good horticultural practice may be exempt but check specifics with the LPA.

Remember: Exemptions are narrowly defined. If in doubt, ask us to assess the risk before you proceed.

Penalties for unauthorised work

Carrying out unauthorised work on a TPO tree is a criminal offence. Fines can be substantial, up to £20,000 per tree in the Magistrates’ Court and potentially unlimited in the Crown Court. You may also be required to plant a replacement. It’s far cheaper and safer to do it properly.

How to find out if a tree is protected

• Check your council’s online map or Tree Preservation Order register.
• Contact the LPA’s tree/landscape team directly.
• Ask P And P Trees to investigate. We can confirm potential TPO or Conservation Area status and advise on next steps.

Conservation Areas: the 6-week rule

If your tree is in a Conservation Area and has a stem diameter of 75 mm or more at 1.5 m above ground, you must give the LPA six weeks’ written notice before most work. This is not the same as a TPO consent, but the effect is similar. The LPA can allow the work or decide to serve a Tree Preservation Order..

Applying for consent: do it once, do it right

A strong application is built on good evidence and a clear, standards-based specification.

What you should include in a robust application:

• A precise description of the proposed tree surgery, following BS3998 (the British Standard for tree work)
• Photographs, site plan and access details
• Justification for the work (safety, structural defects, subsidence reports, shading, nuisance etc.)
• Arboriculture reports where needed (e.g., detailed tree risk assessment, decay investigation)
• Method statements for sensitive sites (roots near drives, utilities, or ecologically sensitive habitats)
• Wildlife and nesting bird considerations, with appropriate timing and mitigation

Timelines and decisions

Most LPAs aim to decide within 8 weeks.

Conditions may be attached (e.g., replanting, specific pruning standards, timing restrictions).

If refused or conditioned unreasonably, there is a right of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

Why work with a certified arborist and professional tree surgeon ?

TPOs aren’t just about paperwork, they are about doing the work correctly and safely on site. Poor technique can stress trees, create hazards, or land you in legal trouble. Our qualified team combines technical knowledge with safe, efficient delivery.