Tree Preservation Order

A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is a part of town and country planning in the United Kingdom. A TPO is made by a Local Planning Authority (usually a local council) to protect specific trees or a particular area, group or woodland from deliberate damage and destruction. TPOs can prevent the felling, lopping, topping, uprooting or otherwise willful damaging of trees without the permission of the Local Planning Authority, although different TPOs have different degrees of protection.

They can be made very quickly and in practice it is normal for a council to make an emergency TPO in less than a day in cases of immediate danger to trees.

TPOs were originally introduced in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Some TPOs therefore are over 50 years old, and still valid. Current Tree Preservation Orders are made under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation) (England) Regulations 2012.

The following works normally do not require permission under any TPO:

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