Can I Cut Down a Tree in My Garden?
It is your garden, so it should be simple — but cutting down a tree can need permission you might not expect. This is a helpful, cautious guide, not legal advice. Check the points below, and confirm with your Local Planning Authority before any work.
Free · No account needed · Guidance only — based on available public data, so always confirm with your Local Planning Authority.
Guidance only
Results are based on available public datasets and may not include every Tree Preservation Order. Always confirm with your Local Planning Authority before carrying out tree works.
How it works
Enter a postcode
Type in the postcode for the property. We use it to find the location — no account or sign-up needed.
Check available TPO data
We search available public datasets for Tree Preservation Order records that may be near that location.
Confirm before work starts
Use the result as a starting point, then confirm with your Local Planning Authority before any tree works.
Owning the land does not automatically mean you can remove a tree on it. A tree can be protected by a Tree Preservation Order or by sitting in a conservation area, and felling a protected tree without consent can be a criminal offence with a substantial fine.
The responsibility falls on whoever does or arranges the work, so a quick check protects you and any contractor. Start with a postcode search above, then confirm the details with your council.
A TPO is a council order that protects a specific tree, group or woodland. If your garden tree is covered, you generally need written consent before felling it — and before pruning or pollarding it too.
You cannot tell whether a tree has a TPO just by looking at it. Use the checker for an indication, then ask the Local Planning Authority's tree officer to confirm for your address.
If your home is in a conservation area, most trees of any reasonable size are protected even without a TPO. You usually have to give the council written notice — often six weeks — before felling, so it can decide whether to protect the tree.
Because conservation area boundaries are set by the council and may not show fully in public data, this is a point worth confirming directly rather than assuming.
Even an unprotected tree can raise questions about who owns it and who may work on it:
- A tree on or near a boundary may be jointly owned, or owned by a neighbour.
- You can usually cut back branches or roots crossing onto your land, but only back to the boundary and without killing the tree — and the cuttings belong to the tree's owner.
- A tree subject to a planning condition (for example, one required to be retained when a house was built) may be protected that way too.
If ownership is unclear, sort that out before any work to avoid a dispute.
There are limited exceptions for trees that are dead, or that present an urgent risk of serious harm. Even then, you are often expected to give the council notice, and you should keep evidence — photographs and, ideally, a professional opinion — of why the work was necessary.
Do not rely on the exception without advice. "It looked dangerous" is rarely enough on its own if the tree was protected.
A sensible order of steps:
- Check available public data by postcode for nearby TPO records.
- Confirm TPO and conservation area status with the Local Planning Authority.
- Settle any ownership or boundary questions with neighbours.
- Get written confirmation of what you may do.
- Use a qualified, insured tree surgeon for the work.
If anything is unclear, request a manual protected-tree check before you commit.
Not sure what the result means?
Request a manual protected tree check before you prune, pollard or fell. We will review the available council sources for the specific address and confirm what we find.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to cut down a tree in my own garden?
How do I find out if my garden tree is protected?
Can I remove a tree that is damaging my house?
What is the fine for cutting down a protected tree?
Related checks and guides
Guidance only
Results are based on available public datasets and may not include every Tree Preservation Order. Always confirm with your Local Planning Authority before carrying out tree works.