You may need to make an application to work on trees if it is protected by a tree preservation order (TPO) or you live in a conservation area. Work can include trimming, topping, uprooting or lopping branches.
If you want to apply for permission to work on a tree speak to a tree surgeon first. Use the Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor Directory to find a tree surgeon. Qualified trees surgeons should have public and employer liability insurance and a waste disposal license.
There are specific rules for different types of tree and woodland work. We may reject your form if the information provided is not correct. We can't visit your site before you apply.
Apply to prune a tree in a conservation area or with a Tree Preservation Order
If you want to carry out works to a protected tree, you must apply for permission in writing – verbal consent for work is not given. You can do this online via the Planning Portal.
To access the application form, sign in, select ‘start new application’, then select ‘trees subject to TPOs’.
Your application should include:
- the trees you want to work on
- what sort of work you want to carry out
- the reasons for the work
- photos of the trees
Certain types of work also need supporting information. For example, if you give the reason for work as being safety or damage to property you will need to give evidence of these problems.
Next steps
We will write to confirm that we have received your application and will then consider it and let you know the decision within 8 weeks (6 weeks for a Conservation Area tree).
You can check the progress of your application on our online planning register.
Exemptions for dead or dangerous protected trees
If the tree is dead or dangerous, you can apply for an exemption from the need to make an application to prune a tree that is in a Conservation Area or has a Tree Preservation Order.
Unless work is necessary because there is an immediate risk of serious harm, 5 working days written notice must be given before cutting down or carrying out other work on a dead tree.
You can remove dead branches from a living tree without notice or consent. Where a dead tree is removed, the landowner has a duty to plant a replacement: the species, position and time of planting will need to be agreed.
Where a tree presents an immediate risk of serious harm and work is urgently needed to remove the risk, tree owners or their agents must give written notice to the authority as soon as they can after the work becomes necessary.
Work should only be carried out to make the tree safe. If the danger is not immediate, an application is required.
The online form below has been produced to help you to provide the necessary information required to make a written notice. It is not compulsory to use it but it will help us process the notice quickly and efficiently.