Free · England · Official data
Can I cut down a tree
in a conservation area?
Trees in conservation areas are protected even without a Tree Preservation Order. Search a postcode to see if the tree is inside a conservation area and whether protected tree zones are nearby.
FreeNo accountTry GL20 5AB
Example result · GL20 5AB
Inside the Tewkesbury conservation area
Tewkesbury Borough Council
- Applies
Article 4 direction
- 50+
Listed buildings within 250 m
- Low
Flood zone at the pin
The 6 week notice rule
In a conservation area you must give the council 6 weeks notice before cutting down, lopping or topping a tree with a trunk more than 75 mm across, measured 1.5 m above the ground. This is called a section 211 notice. The council uses the 6 weeks to decide whether the tree should get a Tree Preservation Order. If you are thinning trees to help others grow, the limit is 100 mm, and the notice lasts 2 years.
When a Tree Preservation Order applies
If a tree already has a Tree Preservation Order, you need the council's written consent before most work, inside or outside a conservation area. The checker shows tree preservation zones published within 100 m of your pin.
What happens after you give notice
The council can agree to the work, make a Tree Preservation Order to protect the tree, or do nothing. If it does nothing, you can do the work after the 6 weeks end. You must finish it within 2 years of the notice, or give a new notice.
Work that does not need notice
Some work is exempt: cutting down or pruning a tree that is dead, removing dead branches, work that is urgently needed to remove an immediate risk of serious harm, pruning fruit trees in line with good practice, and work needed to carry out a full planning permission. Tell the council first anyway, and take dated photos of the tree, because you may have to prove the exemption applied.
Replacement trees
If a conservation area tree is removed without the notice the law requires, the owner of the land must plant another tree of a suitable size and species in the same place as soon as reasonably possible, unless the council agrees to waive this. The duty passes to the next owner if the land is sold.
Penalties
Cutting down, uprooting or wilfully destroying a tree without notice is a criminal offence. There is no fixed limit on the fine, and the court takes account of any money gained, for example from a higher property value. Other breaches can bring a fine of up to £2,500.
Questions
Do I need notice to prune a small tree?
Not if the trunk is 75 mm or less across at 1.5 m above the ground. Above that size, most work in a conservation area needs the 6 week notice.
What if the tree is dead or dangerous?
Different rules apply to dead or dangerous trees, and councils usually still want to be told first. Contact your council before work, and keep evidence of the tree's condition.
How do I give notice for tree work?
Send the council a section 211 notice that identifies the tree and the work. Most councils have a form on their website. The notice lasts 2 years, so work must be done within 2 years of the notice.