Do you need permission to work on your tree?

Much of Forest Hill, Sydenham, Brockley, Dulwich and Blackheath is covered by conservation areas, and many trees across South East London are protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). Before most pruning or felling work on these trees, the council has to be told or asked for consent first.

Working on a protected tree without permission can lead to prosecution and a large fine, and the tree owner can be held responsible as well as the contractor.

We check this for every job we quote. When permission is needed, we prepare and submit the application for you, free of charge when you book the work with us.

Conservation areas and TPOs: what’s the difference?

Trees in a conservation area

Work on any tree with a trunk 75 mm or more across, measured 1.5 m above the ground, needs six weeks’ written notice to the council (known as a section 211 notice). The council uses that time to decide whether the tree should be protected with a TPO. If it doesn’t object within six weeks, the work can go ahead, and the notice stays valid for two years.

Trees with a Tree Preservation Order

Almost all work on a protected tree, including pruning, needs the council’s consent. Councils normally decide within eight weeks, and can approve the work, refuse it or approve it with conditions. A TPO can cover a single tree, a group of trees or a whole woodland, and it can apply anywhere, not just in a conservation area.

There’s no council fee for either. Dead trees and trees that are an immediate danger have their own rules, but in most cases the council still needs to be told before any work is done.

How we handle it

1. Site visit. We look at the tree, agree the work with you and check the council’s records for TPOs and conservation areas.
2. Reasons for work statement. We write a clear statement of the proposed work and why it’s needed, with a marked-up plan of the trees. If a tree has a defect such as decay or fungus, we can also provide a tree condition report.
3. Submission. We submit the notice or application to the council and keep you updated.
4. Work booked in. Once consent is given, or the six weeks’ notice has passed, we book the work in.

We regularly make applications to Lewisham, Southwark, Bromley, Greenwich and Lambeth councils.