Trees and hedges

The law protects certain woodlands, individual and groups of trees. Those trees that have Tree Preservations Orders (TPO's) or are within conservation areas are protected under a range of legislation that makes it an offence to carry out any work on those trees without permission from the Local Authority unless the tree is dead, dying, dangerous or causing an actionable nuisance.

Trees that grow in Council owned property or on public open spaces are also protected as they are deemed as Council property. Anyone wilfully damaging these can be prosecuted.

The Authority has its own professional tree maintenance team based in Parks Services who carry out tree care and maintenance to trees owned by the council.

Please contact the Tree Maintenance Team in Parks Services if you have any queries or would like advice about tree care and maintenance.

Some advice for private tree owners:

• Always contact the Local Authority to ensure that the trees are not protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), planning constraints or that the tree is within a conservation area.
• Always employ a suitable trained professional Tree Surgeon, who is covered by Public Liability Insurance. (Always ask for proof).
• Never employ house callers or leaflet droppers claiming to be professional Tree Surgeons.
• Reputable Tree Surgeons will always have some form of professional identification and qualification proof. Always ask to see it.
• Reputable Tree Surgeons can be found in the Yellow Pages or contact us for further advice.

Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs)

Tree Preservation Orders or TPOs were introduced to enable local planning authorities to protect important trees. TPOs can be placed on any tree that has amenity value. Trees that are exempt from TPOs are those that are dead, dying, diseased or dangerous and fruit trees grown for the commercial production of fruit.

TPOs prohibit the cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, wilful damage or wilful destruction of trees (including their roots) without the Local Authorities consent.

The maximum penalty for carrying out works to TPO trees without consent is £20,000. The Council's policy is only to protect trees that are under a direct threat.

For a guide to the law and best practice on Tree Preservation Orders please visit Communities and Local Government website or contact the Development Consents Unit.

High hedges

The right hedge can be an ideal garden boundary but the wrong hedge may bring problems. This leaflet explains what will happen if the Council get involved - using their powers in Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. The link below is a simple guide and not a statement of the law.

Documents

To view these documents you might need to download some software. Visit our downloads page for more information.

	Application for tree works - an application form to carry out work to tree(s). File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 98KB
	Guidance for tree works application form - guidance for completing a tree works application form. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 30KB
	High hedges: complaining to the council - frequently asked questions and guidance for the process of complaints about high hedges. File format Adboe Acrobat (pdf) - 394KB
	High hedges complaint form - the complaints form. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 84KB

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