Before any tree work in Hale, Bowdon or Altrincham, the first question is whether the tree is protected. It is easy to miss. Doing work on a protected tree without the council’s agreement can be a criminal offence, for whoever does the work as well as the owner.
1. What a TPO is
A Tree Preservation Order, or TPO, is made by the council to protect a tree, a group of trees or a woodland. With a TPO, you need the council’s consent before you cut down, top, lop or uproot the tree. It is the tree that is protected, not the person who owns it, so a TPO stays with the tree when a house is sold.
2. What a Conservation Area means for trees
Most trees in a Conservation Area are protected even if they have no TPO. If the trunk is more than 75 mm across (about 7.5 cm, measured 1.5 m above the ground), you usually have to give the council six weeks’ notice before you work on it. Trees with a trunk under 7.5 cm across do not need notice. The council then has six weeks. If it hasn’t made a Tree Preservation Order in that time, the work can go ahead. It can start sooner if the council tells you it has no objection. The notice covers work done within two years; after that, you give notice again. Several towns round here, including Bowdon, have Conservation Areas, so this comes up more often than most people expect.
3. How to check your address
- Look up your address on your council’s map.
- Trafford Council (Altrincham, Timperley, Hale, Hale Barns, Bowdon, Sale): Find out if a tree is protected and Trees in conservation areas
- Cheshire East Council (Knutsford): Tree Preservation Orders
- If the map is unclear, ask the council. Their tree officers can tell you whether a tree has a TPO or sits in a Conservation Area.
- Check again before each job. A map you looked at years ago may be out of date, and a neighbour’s tree can have a TPO too.
4. What happens next
| If your tree… | You… | Allow… |
|---|---|---|
| has a TPO | apply to the council for consent | The council should decide within 8 weeks. If it hasn’t, you can appeal, but you can’t start until you have consent. |
| is in a Conservation Area (trunk over 75 mm) | give the council notice | Six weeks, or sooner if the council says it has no objection. If it makes a TPO instead, you’ll need consent. |
| is neither | no council permission is needed for the tree | Book it in. We still check for nesting birds and bats first, and on larger sites whether a planning condition or felling licence applies. |
5. Dead, dying or dangerous trees
If a protected tree is dead, you have to tell the council in writing at least five working days before the work, unless it’s urgent.
If a tree or branch is an immediate danger, only the work needed to make it safe can be done straight away, and the council must be told in writing as soon as possible afterwards. That only covers the work needed to make the tree safe; anything more still needs the council’s agreement.
Taking dead branches off a living tree does not need notice or consent, as long as only the dead wood is cut.
Whoever does the work has to be able to show the tree was dead or dangerous, so we take photos first. If you’re not sure, ask the council before anything is cut.
If anyone is in danger, or a tree is on a road, a building or power lines, call 999 first. Then ring us on 07903 323304.
6. Where we come in
Adam will tell you whether he thinks your tree is protected, and what work to ask the council for. You make the application or give the notice yourself. Once the council has agreed, or the notice period has passed, we book the work in. Before we start, we’ll ask to see the council’s consent, or the date you gave notice, and we keep a copy with the job. More on how it works: TPOs and Conservation Areas.
7. Three mistakes we see
- Taking “just a few branches” off a protected tree. A small cut usually still needs the council’s agreement.
- Assuming it is fine because a neighbour had work done. Their tree may be in a different Conservation Area, or may not be protected at all.
- Leaving the check until the day. The notice or application comes first. Build the wait into your plans, especially if you want the work done before spring.
Related: Crown reduction · Tree removal · TPOs and Conservation Areas