Tree Preservation Orders and Conservation Areas: do you need permission?
Many trees in Altrincham, Hale, Bowdon, Knutsford and Sale are protected. Here is what that means for tree work, how to check your own tree, and who to ask. Only the council can confirm whether a tree is protected. If you are not sure, send us a photo and your postcode, and Adam will tell you what he thinks.
Two kinds of protection
Tree Preservation Order (TPO)
A TPO is made by the council to protect a particular tree, a group of trees or a woodland. You need the council’s consent before you cut down, top, lop or uproot a tree that has one.
Conservation Area
Most trees in a Conservation Area are protected as well, even without a 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 the work starts. 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.
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. That is why we check before we start.
How to check whether your tree is protected
Trafford Council
Covers Altrincham, Timperley, Hale, Hale Barns, Bowdon and Sale.
Find out if a tree is protected, Trafford Council
Trees in conservation areas, Trafford Council
If you cannot tell from the map, ask your council. Their tree officers can say whether a tree has a TPO or sits in a Conservation Area. Notices and applications can be sent to your council through the Planning Portal.
What Adam does, and what you do
Adam will tell you whether he thinks a TPO or Conservation Area applies to your tree, and what kind of work you would be asking the council to agree to. You make the application or give the notice yourself, to your own council. 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.
How long it takes
| Your tree | What you do | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Dead and 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.
Questions people ask
Do I need permission to cut a tree in a Conservation Area?
Usually you have to give the council six weeks’ notice before working on a tree in a Conservation Area, and the notice lasts two years. Small trees can be exempt. Adam will tell you if he thinks notice is needed.
How do I check if my tree has a TPO?
Look your address up on your council’s map, or ask the council. Trafford Council covers Altrincham, Timperley, Hale, Hale Barns, Bowdon and Sale. Cheshire East Council covers Knutsford. Only the council can confirm it.
Will Hartleys make the application for me?
No. Adam will tell you whether he thinks a TPO or Conservation Area applies and what work to ask for. You make the application or give the notice yourself.
How long does the council take?
For a TPO tree, the council should decide within 8 weeks. If it hasn’t, you can appeal, but you can’t start the work until you have consent. For a Conservation Area notice, the council has six weeks to respond.
What if the tree is dead or dangerous?
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. We take photos first, because whoever does the work has to be able to show the tree was dead or dangerous. 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.
Can I prune a protected tree myself?
Not without the council’s agreement, apart from the limited exceptions for dead or dangerous trees (see above). Check with your council first.
Not sure if your tree is protected?
Send us a photo and your postcode, and Adam will tell you what he thinks.