What a Tree Preservation Order is
A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is a legal order made by your local planning authority (borough, district or unitary council) to protect specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands. Works that would normally be permitted — pruning, reduction, removal — can become a criminal offence without written consent.
TPOs are usually made when trees are visible from public land, contribute to local character, or have wildlife value. Having a TPO does not mean the tree can never be worked on; it means the council must approve the work first.
Conservation Areas — different rules
If your property sits in a Conservation Area, trees with a trunk over 75mm diameter at 1.5m height may need six weeks' notice before work — even without a named TPO on that specific tree. The council can then impose a TPO to protect the tree while it considers the impact.
Many Essex towns — including parts of Chelmsford, Colchester, Brentwood and coastal parishes — contain Conservation Areas. Always check both TPO registers and Conservation Area maps before booking work.
How to check protection status
Start with your council's online tree map or planning portal. Search by address, zoom to your garden, and note reference numbers for any TPO trees. If the map is unclear, call the planning tree officer — they can confirm by email, which is worth keeping for your records.
- Council planning portal — TPO and Conservation Area layers
- Title deeds and surveyor plans (sometimes note historic orders)
- Previous tree reports from mortgage or insurance surveys
- Our quote visit — we flag protection before pricing work
Applying for consent
For TPO trees you need a formal application with a specification and rationale — why the work is needed, what will be cut, and how the tree will be managed afterwards. For Conservation Area trees you may only need a Section 211 notice, but the council can escalate to full consent.
We prepare specifications, drawings where useful, and submit on your behalf as part of the job. Timelines vary by council; allow six to eight weeks for TPO decisions in busy authorities, though some are faster.
Dangerous trees and exemptions
If a protected tree is an immediate risk to people or property, exempt work can be carried out to make it safe — then you notify the council promptly with evidence (photographs, arborist report). Storm damage is a common trigger; see our guide on the first 24 hours after storm damage for practical steps.
If you are unsure whether damage is exempt, call us for an emergency visit — we serve Colchester, Chelmsford and surrounding areas.
Planning work on a protected tree
Book a site visit before you assume removal is possible — councils often support well-specified reductions over full loss. We align the specification with your goal (light, safety, building clearance) and the tree's condition.
Fixed written quotes follow the visit. Insurance certificates and method statements are available for mortgage, building control or neighbour queries.
Common questions
Typically six to eight weeks for a decision once submitted, depending on the local authority workload. Urgent safety work follows separate exempt routes.
