Councils frequently utilise tree preservation orders (TPOs) to safeguard certain trees located on someone else’s property that are within their area of jurisdiction. The landowner has the right to comment once the council sends a TPO explaining why they want to make the order if they want to safeguard a tree.
Before any work on a tree can be done, the council must give its approval if it is protected by TPO. If their planning permission application is denied for reasons related to a TPO, landowners have 28 days to file an appeal with the Secretary of State.
Applications for protected trees are handled differently from those for regular planning permission, with one significant difference being that no cost is required to submit such an application. They still need to be accompanied with paperwork, such as the relevant forms and a diagram of the trees you want to work on. The council will advertise your application, just like it is with regular planning applications. However, neighbours will only be informed on a case-by-case basis.
To better understand your application and the tree(s) that will be impacted, the arboricultural officer at the council in charge of your application may wish to perform a site visit. Applications to work on protected trees must be submitted within the typical 8-week time frame. A report from a certified arboriculturist is required to support your application if you want to completely remove a protected tree.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you require any type of planning service by emailing [email protected].