At Simpson Arboriculture, we understand the importance of tree preservation and the legal frameworks in place to protect our natural environment. In this blog post, we aim to shed light on Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and conservation areas in England. This aims to help our tree surgery customers understand their significance and how they may impact their trees.
Understanding Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs)
A Tree Preservation Area (TPO) is usually made and managed by a local planning authority, i.e. a local council. As the name suggests, they aim to preserve and protect a tree, woodland or group of trees. These are trees or groups that are valuable to the local area.
TPOs make it unlawful to cut, damage or fell a recognised tree without permission from the local planning authority.
The best way to check if a tree has a TPO is on the local council website. Local council websites often include interactive maps where you can check for any TPOs.
Exploring Conservation Areas
So what defines a conservation area? This is a designated area within a town, village or urban area that is considered to have special architectural or historical interest. These areas are often recognised by their unique character, distinctive buildings and overall environmental quality. Their aim is to preserve heritage and natural beauty.
If an area is designated as a conservation area, it is subject to stricter planning controls and regulations compared to non-designated areas. This includes trees!
However, there are some exemptions. According to the Arboricultural Association:
“You do not need to give notice of work on a tree in conservation area less than 7.5 centimetres in diameter, measured 1.5 metres above the ground (or 10 centimetres if thinning to help the growth of other trees”.
Hedges are also exempt from conservation area restrictions.
How we can help
If you are within a conservation area or want to carry out work on any of your TPO trees, we can help! At Simpson Arboriculture, we are very familiar with the process of putting together an application and applying for permissions for the work. Homeowners can find this process a bit daunting if they haven’t done it before. So for a small admin fee, we can take the stress away and oversee the whole application process.
Simply give you a call in the office or visit our website. We can arrange a convenient day and time for one of our team to come and do a site visit. Our experienced team can quote for any tree surgery work and discuss details regarding an application you may want to make. On acceptance of the quotation, we can then begin the application process on your behalf.
