Practical guide
Written by Craig, Foundation Garden & Trees
Usually no: most garden trees in the UK can be cut down without permission. The exceptions are trees with a tree preservation order and trees in a conservation area, and checking takes one phone call to the council.
5 minute readUpdated September 2026Last updated:
A TPO application is free to submit to the council.
Conservation areas need six weeks written notice before work.
Fines for unauthorised work on a protected tree can be substantial.
Ring the tree officer at your district council with the address and ask whether the tree is covered by an order or falls in a conservation area. West Suffolk, Mid Suffolk, Breckland, Ipswich, Norwich and King's Lynn and West Norfolk all publish tree maps too.
Planning conditions on newer estates sometimes protect trees even where no TPO exists, so it is worth checking the original permission on a recent build.
Which route applies depends on how the tree is protected.
We routinely describe proposed works in the terms councils expect, such as a 2 metre crown reduction or the removal of a specific deadwood limb, which makes an application far easier to approve.
Common questions
Most work on trees in a conservation area needs six weeks written notice to the council before it starts.
In most cases yes, but first check with the council that the tree has no preservation order and is not in a conservation area, and check it for nesting birds.
Contact the tree officer at your district council with the property address. Most councils also publish an online map of protected trees.
No. It means the work needs written consent first. Sensible pruning and safety work are commonly approved.
Work to remove genuine immediate danger can proceed, but you must notify the council and keep photographic evidence of the condition.
Unauthorised work on a protected tree is a criminal offence and can attract a significant fine, so it always pays to check first.
Garden hedges usually do not, but high hedge complaints can be raised under the Anti social Behaviour Act, and some countryside hedgerows are protected in their own right.
Straightforward advice
Call Craig or send photos, your location and a short description for an initial estimate.
