Guides · 4 min
Trees and preservation orders
A protected tree can shape an extension more than the planning policy.
Two kinds of protection
A tree preservation order protects a named tree, group, or area. You need the council’s consent to cut, prune, or remove it, with some exceptions for dead or dangerous wood. In a conservation area, you usually have to give six weeks’ notice before work to most trees above a small size, even without an order.
An extension that digs through roots, or whose foundations sit under the canopy, can be refused or redesigned. The tree officer is a different person from the planning officer.
What to do
Look up before you sketch. A cheap tree report is better than a refused application. National maps do not always show every order, so ask the council if the report says the check came back empty.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.
Questions
Can I cut a tree in a conservation area?
Usually you must notify the council six weeks before, unless an exception applies. They can then make an order.
Does a tree block a rear extension?
It can, if the roots or the canopy are in the way. Sometimes the design moves sideways and the tree stays.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.