Trees

Protected trees and preservation orders

Some trees are protected because they’re in a conservation area or have a tree preservation order (TPO).

You must get permission before cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, or damaging a protected tree, including its roots.

Trees protected by a TPO

A TPO (Tree Preservation Order) is a legal order made by the council. It protects trees that are important to the local environment.

It can cover:

• a single tree
• a group of trees
• an entire woodland
• hedgerows (but not shrubs, bushes or climbing plants)

You must get approval from the Local Planning Authority before doing any pruning or other work on a tree with a TPO.

Trees in a conservation area

Trees in a conservation area are protected.

You must give the council 6 weeks notice before doing any pruning or other work.

You do not need to give notice for smaller trees. This includes:

• individual trees with a stem width of less than 7.5 cm, measured at 1.5 metres above the ground
• trees within a group with a stem width of less than 10 cm, measured at 1.5 metres above the ground

Find guidance about protected trees and conservation areas on GOV.UK.

Find out if a tree is protected

Use the map below to find out if a tree is in a conservation area or protected by a TPO.

Apply or give notice for works on a protected tree

You can apply to work on a tree protected by a TPO, or give notice to work on a tree in a conservation area, through the planning portal.

You can also download the application for tree works (PDF 364kb) and post or return it by hand to:

Planning
Hackney Service Centre
1 Hillman Street
London
E8 1DY

Read our guide for preparing applications for tree works (Google Doc).

5-day notice for urgent tree work

If you need to carry out work on a protected tree that poses an urgent and serious safety risk, you must submit a 5-day notice.

If the risk is immediate, you can carry out the work straight away, but you must tell us as soon as possible.

Submit a notice if you need to:

• cut down a tree when the entire tree is an immediate hazard
• prune part of a tree that presents an urgent safety risk

To submit a 5-day notice, email hackney.planning@hackney.gov.uk and include:

• details of the work and why it’s needed
• photos showing the dangerous condition of the tree
• a map of the trees location
• a photo of the tree in its original position
• approximate height of the tree in meters
• details of replacement trees for dead or imminently dangerous protected trees

Urban tree planting programme – new street trees

We’ve planted 5,000 new street trees in the last 4 years, one of the largest urban tree planting programmes in the country.

As a result of the programme, which is part of our commitment to environmental sustainability and creating a greener community, on-street tree canopy coverage is set to increase from 20% to 30%, helping to sequester carbon, filter air, mitigate local flooding by improving drainage, and cool streets during the hot weather that is becoming more prevalent as a result of climate change.

There are many benefits for planting urban trees; a mature tree can provide enough oxygen in a year for the needs of 10 people, they help to improve air quality by trapping pollutants and toxic particles, trees absorb harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, they reduce flooding risks, and they create beauty and interest. Research has shown that people recover from illness quicker if they can see trees and have the opportunity to connect with nature in green spaces.

Trees also have more practical uses, providing shelter and shade, slowing down wind speed and reducing air turbulence around buildings, softening the harshness of the urban landscape and improving the appearance of the borough, attracting both commercial and community investment.

Map of council maintained trees

The Hackney tree map shows more than 45,000 council maintained trees.

Use it to find out more information about trees on your street – listing species, common name and age.

It’s the result of some joint work between our arboricultural officers and the Data and Insight team.

If your neighbour’s tree branches are overhanging your garden, you can ask them to prune it back. Under common law, you’re allowed to cut back branches and roots that cross your property line, even without the tree owner’s permission.

However, you have a legal responsibility to exercise ‘reasonable care’. This means you must carry out the work safely in a way that does not harm the tree. It’s best to talk to your neighbour first and try to agree on the work.

See the Arboricultural Association guide to trees and the law.

If a tree has damaged your property, contact your insurance company. They will investigate the damage and gather the evidence needed to support your claim.