Trees and hedges shape a garden more than almost any other single feature, providing structure, privacy and screening, but working on them isn't always as simple as picking up a chainsaw. A meaningful proportion of trees across York, particularly in the city's conservation areas, have specific legal protections that need checking before any work goes ahead.
A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) makes it a criminal offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot or otherwise damage a protected tree without the local planning authority's consent. TPOs can protect an individual tree, a group of trees, or a whole area of woodland, and they're registered against the property, meaning they bind future owners even if they weren't the ones who received the original order.
Even without a specific TPO, trees within a conservation area have a separate layer of protection: anyone wanting to fell, top or lop a tree with a trunk diameter over 75mm (measured 1.5 metres above ground) must give the local planning authority six weeks' written notice before work begins. This gives the council the opportunity to assess the tree and, if they consider it warranted, serve a TPO before work can proceed. If no objection is raised within the six weeks, the work can go ahead as notified.
Ordinary garden hedges aren't subject to the same TPO or conservation area notification system as trees, though disputes between neighbours over excessively tall evergreen hedges can be addressed under the High Hedges Act 2003 through the local council, if informal discussion doesn't resolve things. We'd always suggest talking to a neighbour directly in the first instance where a hedge is a shared concern, since a formal complaint process is a slower and more adversarial route than a conversation.
Before carrying out tree or hedge work as part of a garden clearance or landscaping project, we check whether the property sits in a conservation area and whether any trees are covered by a TPO. If either applies, we'll handle the notification or application process rather than proceeding without it, since working on a protected tree without consent carries serious legal consequences.
We check tree protections properly before any work goes ahead, as part of our wider garden clearance and landscaping service across York and North Yorkshire. Every quote is clear and written, and we'll always flag if a tree on your property needs formal notice or consent before we touch it.
Excellent job from Phil and his team. Both external and internal works finished to an excellent quality. Happy to deal with changes and kept us informed on a day-to-day basis. Definitely recommend.
RW Builders directly on 01904 530941 to discuss tree or hedge work for your garden. Quotes are free and come with no obligation.