We control the work on trees in Conservation
Areas.
In a Conservation Area it is an offence to lop, top,
wilfully damage fell or up-root trees with a trunk diameter of
7.5cm or greater without giving the us "six weeks'
notice."
For these purposes a tree's diameter should be
measured at 1.5m above ground level.
If a tree in a Conservation Area is damaged or destroyed
without giving notice, the owner or person carrying out the work
may be prosecuted and fined up to £20,000 by magistrates or more if
the case goes to Crown Court.
If you want to carry out work on trees within a conservation
area you must send us details of the work proposed six weeks before
you aim to start.
To notify us of your intention to carry out any work download
and fill in
our Application form for tree works (pdf,
Dec 10, 264KB) and
Guidance notes (pdf, Apr 10,
103KB).
There are certain exceptions when six-weeks notice is not
required such as where a tree is dead or in a dangerous
condition, but you should always seek our advice to ensure your
proposed works are acceptable.
If we consider the work to be inappropriate we may make a Tree
Preservation Order (TPO) to specifically protect the tree or
trees.
Trees with a diameter under 7.5cm can be felled without
notice and trees with a diameter of under 10cm can be felled only
if the work is to thin out the number of trees to help
the growth of others.
To find out if your tree is within a conservation
area or for more information contact our
Tree
Officers.
