Arbconsultants can provide an important and cost-effective solution to guiding you through the confusing maze of TPO and planning legislation that can be relevant to urban trees. Arbconsultants can advise clients at an early stage on the best course of action and with our wealth of experience and knowledge of the current planning legislation the service is always client centred. Arbconsultants can provide advice and reports to cover the following:-

• Tree Preservation Order applications
• Section 211 - Conservation Notice applications
• Tree Preservation Order appeals

A TPO is made by the local planning authority to protect the amenity that particular trees provide. TPO's prevent wilful damage or destruction, the felling, lopping, topping, uprooting or otherwise of trees without the permission of the local planning authority.

Making TPO's is a 'discretionary' power: available to a Local Authority. It may choose to make them, or not depending on how it values the amenity that the tree provides and whether it perceives there is a danger to the tree.

TPO'd Tree

Once a TPO is made they have a duty to enforce it but the Local Authority should also review it from time to time. Details of Orders, applications for work and decisions are kept by the local authority and should be available for public inspection. The tree's owner and immediate neighbours are served notice if a new order is made on either their land or adjoining land. Which trees can be protected?

Although it is possible to make TPO's on any trees, in practice the tree or trees should be visible from a public place and should be worthy of preservation for their intrinsic beauty, contribution to the landscape or because of their screening properties.