We will check your notice to make sure it includes all the information required by law.
Under Section 211 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, you must give the Local Planning Authority (LPA) six weeks' notice before carrying out work on trees in a Conservation Area.
The law does not prescribe a specific form, but your notice must contain enough information for us to clearly understand what work is proposed.
What your notice must include
Details of the tree or trees
You must provide enough information to clearly identify the tree or trees, including:
- The address or location of the site
- Identification of the tree or location within the site
- The tree species (if known)
- A tree reference number or label
- A plan showing the tree location
A clear description of the proposed work
You must describe exactly what work you want to carry out, for example:
- Felling
- Crown reduction
- Crown lifting
- Pruning
The description must be specific. Avoid vague terms such as "trim" or "cut back". Include measurements wherever possible, such as:
- The amount to be removed in metres
- The final height or spread
Incomplete notices
We may return your notice or ask for more information if:
- The proposed work is unclear or too vague
- The extent of the work is not specified
- There is not enough information to identify the tree
If the requested information is not provided, we may withdraw the notice because it is unclear or ambiguous.
Making a decision
Once we have accepted the notice, we will either:
- Raise no objection to the proposed work, or
- Object to the work by making a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) for the tree.
The decision remains valid for 2 years, or until the approved tree work has been completed, whichever happens first.
We cannot attach conditions to a six-week Conservation Area notice. However, we may include helpful advice or guidance in the decision notice.
What happens after you give notice for work to a tree in a conservation area
If the proposed work requires a six-week notice under section 211 of the Town and Country Planning Act, you must give notice to the local planning authority before carrying out the work. You can ask for advice or arrange a site visit before submitting your notice if needed.
Once the notice has been received, the local planning authority will acknowledge it and register it. The authority may publicise the proposal, consult local people or organisations, and carry out a site visit.
In some cases, the authority may decide that the proposed work is exempt. If this happens, the person who submitted the notice will be informed and the work can go ahead, although a duty to replant may still apply.
If the work is not exempt, the authority will consider the proposal during the six-week notice period. When the six weeks have ended, the authority will decide whether it objects to the proposed work or has received objections from others.
If there are no objections, the person who submitted the notice will be informed and the work described in the notice can be carried out within two years.
If there are objections, the authority will consider whether the tree should be protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).
If a Tree Preservation Order is not considered necessary, the person who submitted the notice will be informed and the work described in the notice can be carried out within two years.
If a Tree Preservation Order is made, the tree becomes protected and the rules and procedures relating to Tree Preservation Orders will apply.
The flow chart below shows this process in a more visual format:
