If you’ve ever booked a tree survey or had a team of arboriculturists visit your property, then you might have heard the term ‘Tree Protection Order’ or ‘Tree Preservation Order’ thrown around.
To cut a long story short, this kind of order protects both single trees and groups of trees from being felled, topped, pruned, or wilfully damaged as part of the surrounding environment or property work, without the written consent of the local authority. In addition, it requires you to engage in tree surveys in Essex or your local area, to ensure that the tree is in optimum health.
So, what is a Tree Preservation or Protection Order, and what does it mean for your landscape or garden?
What kind of trees are given Tree Preservation Orders?
A Tree Preservation Order aims to protect that tree or group of trees from being tampered with, either by developers or by those who seek to cut down the tree to gain extra land for themselves or their property. The important thing to note here is that anyone can apply for a specific tree, woodland, or group of trees to be protected under one of these orders (otherwise known as a TPO) and that granting a TPO means that it becomes illegal to tamper with that tree beyond the realms of the order.
Typically, reasons behind trees being placed under TPOs include the protection of habitats for local wildlife, the retention of a tree for visual and aesthetic value in the local community, and the protection of trees by residents to halt potential development.
What do I do if a tree on my property has a TPO?
The impact on property or landowners, if a TPO is in place, depends on how you use the land and what you plan on doing with that land. Landowners can apply for the TPO to be lifted, citing their reasons for doing so and the project they wish to undertake. These applications must go through the local authority, which will determine the outcome based on tree surveys.
With regards to the maintenance and care of trees which fall under a TPO, there are no statutory guidelines which require specific action and upkeep – however, it is expected that landowners do what they can protect and care for the tree. This means engaging in regular surveys with a local team of experts like those at Essex Tree Brothers – with our surveys designed to maximise the health of individual trees and groups of trees by assessing species, location, age, life expectancy, access to water, canopy condition, and many other factors which allow us to conclude the health of the tree.
Finally, if a tree on your property or land has a TPO, it’s important to recognise the reasons why – and take a step back to assess the aesthetic and environmental value of that tree.
For more information about TPOs or to discuss a tree survey on your property or in your local area, get in touch with the Essex Tree Brothers today.
Leave a Reply