Planning and building control

Tree Preservation Orders

A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) protects trees or woodland that contribute to the local environment. If a tree is protected, you must have written consent from the council before carrying out work on it. 

Check if a tree is protected

To check whether a tree is protected, view our map of Tree Preservation Orders or contact us. 
You should check before carrying out any work.

Work you need consent for

You must get consent before carrying out work to a protected tree, including:

  • cutting down
  • topping or lopping
  • uprooting 

If consent is granted, conditions may apply, including replacement planting. 

Trees in conservation areas

Trees in conservation areas are also protected, even if they are not covered by a TPO.
You must give the council six weeks’ notice before carrying out work. Check if your property is in a conservation area.

Read the full guidance on GOV.UK for Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas.

You may also find our tree preservation and planting advice note below useful.

If a tree is dead or dangerous, you don’t need to apply for consent, but you’ll still need to contact us to prove that the work falls within an exemption.

Apply for consent

To carry out work to a protected tree, you must apply for consent. Include all required plans and supporting information with your application. See the pages below for more guidance on 

There is no fee for tree works applications. 

Apply online for tree works consent

Download the paper application form

Make sure you include the relevant documents and plans with your application:

  • Validation guidance and local information requirements for planning applications

    Download this document: Validation guidance and local information requirements for planning applications (PDF: 1.2 MB)

    This sets out which documents are required for planning applications - the local list of validation requirements. This is in addition to the mandatory national requirements. All submissions will be reviewed against the requirements set out in the national and local list.

    First published: 29/04/2024

    Last updated: 24/10/2025

Request a copy of a TPO

To get a copy of a Tree Preservation Order: