How to check for tree preservation orders on your property
Three ways to find out whether any trees on or near your property in England are protected by a tree preservation order, and what that means for garden work and building plans.
Checking a specific site?
Check a site free: your council, whether you are in a conservation area, and a basic flood check. The £9.99 site report covers everything else we can check.
Postcode, address or grid reference. England, Wales and Scotland. Free check, then the site report is £9.99, one-off.
Before you fell, prune or even trim back a tree in your garden, check whether it is protected by a tree preservation order (TPO). Doing work on a protected tree without consent is a criminal offence. In a magistrates' court the fine can be up to £20,000, and in the Crown Court it is unlimited.
This guide is about England. Wales and Scotland have their own tree protection rules, so check with the council there.
Method 1: Check the site with Planning Constraints
Check a site free shows which council covers the address and whether it is in a conservation area, where trees are protected even without an order. The TPO check is part of the site report (£9.99, one-off), which covers everything we can check within 500 m of your pin, for 30 days. The report link never expires. The free result does not show TPO findings.
- Open the site checker
- Search for your address or postcode
- Review the free result, then open the site report for the TPO check
- TPO areas are shown on the map
Know the limit of the data. In England, TPO data reaches us from councils' submissions to planning.data.gov.uk, and the dataset says it "may be incomplete and not yet cover all of England". On 19 October 2026, 75 data providers had contributed TPO records, and some councils still keep their TPOs on paper. A site that comes back clear is clear in the data we hold. It is not proof that no tree is protected. We show what we found, what came back clear, and where a source couldn't be checked. Some councils don't publish every dataset, so ask the council where it matters. For TPOs, always ask.
Method 2: Contact your council's tree officer
Every local planning authority has a tree officer, sometimes called an arboricultural officer. You can phone or email them to ask whether any TPOs apply to trees on or near your property.
This is the most reliable method for specific trees, because the council holds the definitive records. They can also say what work might be acceptable and how to apply.
Search for "[your council name] tree preservation order" to find contact details and any online register or map.
Method 3: Check during a purchase
If you are buying, the local authority search (CON29) your solicitor orders after your offer is accepted should reveal any TPO affecting the property. If you are buying a house with large or mature trees, ask the council before you offer. Planning Constraints is not a CON29.
What is a tree preservation order?
A TPO is an order made by the local planning authority to protect specific trees, groups of trees or woodland. Councils make TPOs when a tree makes a significant contribution to the local environment and is at risk of being removed or damaged. There are four types:
- Individual: protects a specific tree
- Group: protects a group of trees whose combined impact merits protection
- Woodland: protects a woodland as a whole, including new growth
- Area: an emergency, short-term measure to protect scattered trees
What can't you do to a protected tree?
Without the council's written consent, you cannot:
- Cut down or uproot the tree
- Top or lop the tree
- Wilfully damage or destroy the tree
- Allow any of that to happen through neglect
This applies whoever owns the land. You need consent even to prune branches that overhang from a neighbour's property if the tree has a TPO.
How to get permission for tree work
If you need to carry out work on a protected tree, apply to the council for consent. There is no fee for the application, and the council has eight weeks to decide, after which you can appeal for non-determination.
In your application, explain:
- What work you want to do (be specific: "reduce crown by 2 metres", not "trim tree")
- Why the work is needed, such as safety concerns, damage to structures, disease or daylight
- What the effect on the tree's appearance and health will be
The council can grant consent with conditions such as replanting, grant it in full, or refuse. If it refuses, you can appeal.
Exceptions
There are limited exceptions to the need for consent. Two matter most:
- A dead tree: you must give the council five working days' written notice before work, unless there is an immediate risk of serious harm
- A dangerous tree: urgent work to remove an immediate risk of serious harm does not need prior consent, but you must give written notice as soon as practicable after the work becomes necessary
Do not assume a tree that looks unhealthy is exempt. You may be asked to prove a tree was dead or dangerous if the council challenges it, so take photographs, and ask an arborist for a written opinion where it matters. If in doubt, ask the council first.
Trees in conservation areas
Even without a TPO, a tree may be protected by being in a conservation area. You must give the council six weeks' written notice before cutting down, topping, lopping or uprooting a tree with a trunk more than 75 mm across, measured at 1.5 m above ground. The council uses the notice to decide whether to make a TPO.
Check a site free shows whether the site is in a conservation area. The site report adds the TPO check and the conservation area's source record.
Summary
Three ways to check for tree preservation orders:
- Site report: check a site free, then open the £9.99 site report for the TPO check, remembering that England's TPO data depends on each council's submissions
- Most reliable for specific trees: contact your council's tree officer
- During a purchase: the local authority search your solicitor orders, plus a question to the council before you offer
If a tree is protected, you need the council's written consent before doing any work. The application is free, and the process is straightforward, but the penalties for getting it wrong are severe. Planning an extension near a tree? Check the root protection area with an arborist before you pay for drawings.
Sources
- GOV.UK: tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas: penalties, eight-week determination, dead and dangerous tree exceptions, six-week notice, 75 mm threshold
- Planning Portal: consent under tree preservation orders, for the absence of a fee
- planning.data.gov.uk: tree preservation order dataset, for the coverage statement and provider count
Can you extend? Check permitted development and the rules on your street.
Check a site free for your council, whether you are in a conservation area, and a basic flood check. The site report (£9.99, one-off) adds everything else we can check within 500 m of your pin, for 30 days, with the source for each finding.
We show what we found, what came back clear, and where a source couldn’t be checked. Some councils don’t publish every dataset, so ask the council where it matters. Planning Constraints is a screening tool, not an official local authority search or professional advice.