TPO & Conservation Area Tree Work in the New Forest
Arbor Bear Tree Specialists provides expert advice and professional tree work for protected trees across the New Forest, Lymington and surrounding areas of Hampshire.
If your tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or located within a Conservation Area, permission or prior notification may be required before pruning, felling or carrying out other tree work.
Arbor Bear can help establish whether your tree is protected, recommend appropriate arboricultural work and manage the relevant TPO application or Conservation Area notification on your behalf.
From the initial assessment and application through to carrying out the approved tree work, we can manage the process from start to finish.
What is a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)?
A Tree Preservation Order, commonly known as a TPO, is a legal order made by a Local Planning Authority to protect individual trees, groups of trees or woodlands considered important to the local area.
If a tree is protected by a TPO, you will generally need permission from the relevant Local Planning Authority before carrying out work such as pruning, crown reduction, pollarding, felling or removal.
This does not necessarily mean that no work can be carried out.
Where tree work is appropriate, Arbor Bear can assess the tree, recommend a suitable course of action and manage the TPO application process on your behalf.
TPO Applications in the New Forest
If you need to carry out work to a protected tree, Arbor Bear can help take the paperwork out of the process.
Where required in connection with our tree work, we can:
-
Establish whether a tree is subject to a TPO
-
Assess the tree and recommend appropriate work
-
Clearly specify the proposed arboricultural work
-
Prepare and submit the relevant TPO application
-
Liaise with the Local Planning Authority where appropriate
-
Respond to requests for further information where required
-
Carry out the approved tree work in accordance with any conditions
All applications remain subject to the decision of the relevant Local Planning Authority, and proposed work may need to be amended where alternative works or conditions are requested.
Trees in Conservation Areas
Trees within a Conservation Area can also be legally protected, even where there is no individual Tree Preservation Order in place.
For qualifying tree work, the Local Planning Authority will generally need to be notified before work begins. This gives the authority an opportunity to consider the proposed work and whether the tree should receive additional protection.
Arbor Bear can assess the proposed work and manage the Conservation Area tree notification on your behalf, helping ensure the correct process is followed before work begins.
Do I Need Permission to Prune or Fell My Tree?
That depends on the tree, its location and whether any legal protection applies.
Before significant work is carried out, it is important to establish whether the tree is:
-
Protected by a Tree Preservation Order
-
Situated within a Conservation Area
-
Subject to conditions attached to a planning permission
-
Affected by other relevant restrictions
Carrying out unauthorised work to a protected tree can have serious consequences, so if you are unsure, it is always worth checking before work begins.
Arbor Bear can help establish the requirements and advise you on the appropriate next steps.
Professional Advice for Protected Trees
Protected status does not mean a tree can never be pruned or removed.
Trees continue to grow and change, and appropriate management may be necessary because of their health, condition, size, location or relationship with surrounding buildings and land.
Our experienced arborists assess each tree individually and recommend work based on sound arboricultural practice rather than simply removing as much growth as possible.
Depending on the circumstances, recommendations may include:
-
Crown reduction
-
Crown thinning or lifting
-
Deadwood removal
-
Selective pruning
-
Management of damaged or declining branches
-
Ongoing monitoring
-
Tree removal where appropriate
Where possible, our aim is to find an appropriate balance between tree health, safety, amenity and the practical needs of the property.
Professional Advice for Protected Trees
Based near Lymington, Hampshire, Arbor Bear works throughout the New Forest and surrounding areas, where mature and protected trees form an important part of the local landscape.
We provide TPO and Conservation Area tree services across Lymington, Brockenhurst, Sway, Boldre, Milford on Sea, New Milton, Beaulieu, Lyndhurst, Burley, Ringwood, Dorset.
Whether you are a homeowner concerned about a single protected tree or responsible for trees across an estate or commercial property, we can guide you through the process and carry out the approved work professionally.