Consent for work on trees and hedges 

Before doing work on a tree, you must check whether the tree is protected or whether any other legal restrictions apply. You may need to apply for consent or to notify us. In some situations the law may prevent you cutting a tree down to ground level.

For information about working on a neighbour's tree, see tree maintenance issues.

Types of tree and hedge protections and consents needed for work

The type of consent you need depends on whether the tree is protected by a TPO, is in a conservation area, or is protected for another reason.

Applications are made online, if you do not already have a PlanningPortal account, you will need to create one on the PlanningPortal website. You will only see the application form options once you have logged in. To create an account, click the 'Log in' link then scroll down the page and click 'Register for an account'.  

How to use the Planning Portal 

If you do not already have a Planning Portal account, you will need to create one. You will only see the application form options once you have logged in. To create an account, click the 'Log in' link then scroll down the page and click 'Register for an account'.  

When you are logged in, you see a screen showing the status of any existing applications. Click the 'Start a new application' button.

Choose the relevant application type (either treeworks or hedgerow removal) and answer the questions that follow. The treeworks form covers both applications for treework consent for trees with a  TPO  and treework notice for trees in conservation areas. 

You can only upload documents once you have answered all the questions - the upload button comes at the end of the process.

You can do the form in stages, save it, and submit it when you have finished. 

Notes in the form explain what information to give. The Planning Portal also has useful tree work consent guidance

Applications come directly to us from the Planning Portal. 

Application information is available to the public. If you are including sensitive private information you do not want us to share, note this on your form so we can exclude the information from public view.

Trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order - treework applications

You normally need treework consent from us for work on any tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). The consent is free.

You can be prosecuted if you start work on a tree with a  TPO without consent. Fines are potentially unlimited - see   TPO offences.

Check if a tree has a Tree Preservation Order 

Treework consent is not needed for a tree with a  TPO in the following situations:

  • work is covered by a Forestry Commission Grant Scheme
  • the Forestry Commission has granted a Felling Licence
  • the tree presents an urgent and serious safety risk - contact us if you think this may be the case, so we can assess the level of risk; we may ask for photos 
  • the work involves only removing dead branches
  • where we have given planning permission for a development that requires the tree to be cut down (we consider TPOS when making planning permission decisions)
  • in a commercial orchard, or where fruit trees are being pruned following good horticultural practice
  • to prevent or control a legal nuisance (check with a solicitor or your legal representative what counts as a legal nuisance)
  • to comply with an Act of Parliament in connection with proposed activities by a Statutory Undertaker (typically a utilities company), at the request of the Environment Agency, or for drainage work
  • to comply with an Order under the Highways Act
  • for national security purposes 

We recommend you get advice from a tree specialist before applying for treework consent and that you ask the specialist to make the application for you. They will be able to give us the information we need so we can process the application efficiently.

To apply for treework consent to work on a tree with a TPO, use the Planning Portal. If you are not familiar with the Planning Portal, see How to use the Planning Portal.

After we get your application from the Planning Portal we will register it and send you confirmation we have registered the application. We will then assess how important the tree is and consult with the relevant parish or town council. We may also consult others.

There is no legal requirement for us to consult directly with neighbours or other members of the public, but we include all treework applications in our planning applications list.

When we make our decision, points we consider include:

  • the contribution of the tree to public views 
  • how important it is to the local landscape and local people
  • the age and condition of the tree

We may also look at the ecology of the tree. 

We put all decisions in writing - you will get a letter or an email.

We will give consent if we are satisfied the application meets the following four criteria:

  • the reasons for doing the work are sufficient to justify the work
  • the work is not excessive
  • the work follows good practice guidelines
  • the work will not cause significant harm to public amenity

If we consider that the application does not meet one or more of these criteria, we will either refuse consent or contact you to talk about possible alternative work.

If we reach agreement about alternative work, we will ask you to confirm the amended plans in writing. We will then give permission subject to the condition that you follow the amended plans.

If we cannot reach agreement about alternative work, you can ask to withdraw your application and get further advice. Otherwise, we will refuse your application. 

Trees and hedges in a conservation area - treework notice

Trees in conservation areas are protected by law.  

In most cases, you must give us 6 weeks' notice if you want to work on a tree in a conservation area. There is no charge for giving us notice. 

Where the tree is less than 75mm in diameter at a height of 1.5m (100mm if the work is to help other trees grow), you can do the work without letting us know.

Check if a tree is in a conservation area

We recommend you get advice from a tree specialist before giving treework notice and that you ask the specialist to make the application for you. They will be able to give us the information we need so we can process the notice efficiently.

To give treework notice, use the Planning Portal. If you are not familiar with the Planning Portal, see How to use the Planning Portal.

After we get the treework notice from the Planning Portal, we will register it and send you confirmation we have registered the notice. The public can see details of the planned work in our planning applications list.

We then assess the tree and its contribution to the conservation area. The details of the notice go to the relevant parish and town council and they can give their views. We may consult with others.

Where we consider the work acceptable, we normally issue a decision notice to confirm the work is allowed. If you do not hear from us, you can do the work after 6 weeks have passed from the registration date.

If we decide that work on the tree would harm the conservation area, we may contact you to talk about alternatives.

We may also decide to make a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) to protect the tree for the long term. 

If we make a TPO , you will then need to apply for treework consent from us to work on the tree.  

General tree and hedge protections and consents

Property covenants or conditions in earlier planning permissions may restrict the work you can do on a particular tree or hedge. 

For covenants, check the deeds for the property. Ask a solicitor if you need advice.

To check planning conditions, search planning applications.

To cut a tree down to ground level, you may need a felling licence even if the tree does not have a TPO . Felling licences are only needed for trees outside private gardens, orchards, churchyards and public open spaces.

Ancient woodland is any area that has been wooded continuously since 1600 or earlier. An area of ancient woodland may contain open space and younger trees as well as old trees. Wood pastures and historic park land can also count as ancient woodland even though the tree density is lower.

Ancient and veteran trees can be individual trees or groups of trees.

Developments that will harm or destroy ancient woodland, ancient trees and veteran trees

Planning permission for development will be refused if the development will result in the loss or deterioration of ancient woodland, ancient trees or veteran trees unless both the following apply:

  • there are wholly exceptional reasons
  • there is a suitable compensation strategy in place

To discuss possible work, contact us.

To find out more about planning permission for ancient and veteran trees, see GOV.UK.

For maps showing where woodland has been identified as ancient, use the GOV.UK Magic Map. Choose 'habitats and species' from the table of contents, then choose 'woodland' then 'ancient woodland'. Scroll in on the map to check the relevant area. Note that not all ancient woodland has yet been identified - you cannot be sure that woodland is not ancient simply because it is not on the map.

You may need to get permission if you want to remove a hedge that is not part of a garden. 

This is because the law protects countryside hedgerows that meet particular criteria for length, location, and 'importance'. To see if a hedgerow is likely to count as protected, see GOV.UK - hedgerow regulations.

How to apply to remove a countryside hedgerow

To apply to remove a countryside hedgerow, use the Planning Portal. If you are not familiar with the Planning Portal, see How to use the Planning Portal.

After you apply to remove a hedgerow

After we get your notice from the Planning Portal, we will register it and send you confirmation we have registered the notification. We will assess whether the hedgerow should be considered important under the hedgerow regulations and consult the relevant parish council. 

There is no legal requirement for us to consult directly with neighbours or other members of the public, but we include all hedgerow removal notifications in our planning applications list.

We will then send you either:

  • a hedgerow retention notice - if the hedge is protected and you cannot remove it (you can appeal against our decision if you disagree with the decision)
  • a written notice giving permission to remove it in the way you have proposed

We normally give decisions within 6 weeks, but the parish council may ask for longer to consider the proposals. We will contact you if this happens.

If you do not hear from us, you can do the work after 6 weeks have passed from the registration date. 

You should avoid working on trees and hedges during the nesting season (between 1 March and 31 August). It is a criminal offence to knowingly damage or destroy an active nest or the eggs or birds. 

You must comply with all laws protecting wildlife and may need a wildlife licence if your work affects protected species such as bats or dormice.

To find out if the area has been identified as an important wildlife habitat, use the GOV.UK Magic Map and tick 'Habitats and species' in the table of contents.

Finding a tree specialist 

We recommend you use qualified tree specialists for work on trees and hedges. This way you can be sure the work will be done safely and will not damage the tree or hedge. A good place to look is the Arboricultural Association's directory of accredited members.  All contractors should follow the British Standards for Pruning and Treework (BS3998).

Page last reviewed: 06 April 2022