Tree preservation orders

The town and country planning acts make provision for the protection of significant trees in the urban environment. Most of these are privately owned.

Trees may be protected in two ways under the planning acts:

• By tree preservation orders (often abbreviated to TPO)
• Because the tree stands in a conservation area

Trees may also be protected through restrictions written into the deeds of a property. This is usually a private matter, and in this case, the council is unable to help.