We can protect trees. We can do this under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) by making a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). The information in the pages below will tell you what you should do if you would like a visually important tree to be preserved. It will also tell you what you can do if a tree you may wish to do works to or have removed is subject to a TPO.

Trees in Conservation Areas

Older historic parts of the Borough, such as Ashford town centre and the historic core of rural villages, are designated Conservation Areas under the Town and Country Planning Act. There are now over 40 Conservation Areas in the Borough as a whole.

Conservation Area status protects most trees within them not already covered by a TPO . With certain exceptions anyone intending to carry out work to or fell a non TPO tree in a Conservation Area must give us a minimum of 6 weeks written notice before carrying out such works.

The main purpose of this is to enable us to consider whether the tree(s) should be subject to a TPO . The penalties for carrying out such works to Conservation Area trees without giving 6 weeks notice can be as much as a £20,000 per tree.

Other Tree Protection

Sometimes in granting planning permission for development ourselves or the Secretary of State on appeal may have imposed conditions which control how trees or hedges are to be treated. Copies of any planning consent or appeal decision are available on our website if after 2003. Copies of older planning consents or appeal decisions can be obtained by request by quoting the application number to planning.enquiries@shford.gov.uk or 01233 330264.

Tree Preservation Orders

A Tree Preservation Order can be applied to any species of tree. Rare or unusual trees that have particular historic interest are more likely to be granted with an order. Trees in hedgerows can be included but not hedges, bushes or shrubs themselves. What's more TPO 's are not normally placed on fruit trees cultivated for fruit production or on trees within areas we control such as on highways or in parks.

We currently have over 600 Tree Preservation Orders protecting thousands of trees. It is a criminal offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot, wilfully damage or destroy any tree covered by a TPO unless we have specifically permitted this work and the fines can be as much as £20,000 per tree.

We often make a TPO when we are considering planning applications for development. This is because development sites may contain trees that make an important visual contribution to the public amenity of the area. However,we have to be satisfied about the health of the tree.

You can search Applications for Tree Works online, use our TPO search facility or view TPOs and Conservation areas with our online mapping facility.

View the Communities and Local Government website for more information.

To make an enquiry about trees protected by a Preservation Order or within a Conservation Area email Tree Protection.