Tree Preservation Order Checker

A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is a written order made by a Local Planning Authority in England and Wales. It protects specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands that the council considers important for the amenity of an area — their contribution to the look and character of the place.

An order can cover a single tree, several individual trees, an area of trees, or a whole woodland. The protection attaches to the tree, not the owner, so it stays in place when a property changes hands.

If a tree is covered by a TPO, you generally need the council's written consent before you do almost any significant work to it — cutting it down, topping, lopping, uprooting, pruning or pollarding. Doing that work without consent can be a criminal offence, with fines that scale with the value of the tree and the harm done.

The rules exist to stop valued trees being lost or badly damaged without proper consideration. They are not meant to stop sensible management — but that management has to go through the council first.

Start with a postcode search above to see whether any TPO records appear in the available public data near the property. Treat that as a first indication, then verify it properly:

• Look at your council's own TPO map or register, where one is published online.
• Contact the council's tree officer with the specific address.
• Ask whether the property is also in a conservation area.
• Get the answer in writing before you book any work.

If a tree is protected, you would normally apply to the Local Planning Authority for consent to carry out the proposed works. The application describes what you want to do and why, and the council decides whether to grant consent, grant it with conditions, or refuse.

There are limited exceptions — for example, work that is urgently necessary to remove an immediate risk of serious harm — but these are narrow, and you are usually still expected to give the council notice. When in doubt, ask before acting.

There is no single, complete national register of every Tree Preservation Order. Each Local Planning Authority maintains its own records, and the amount published online — and the format — differs widely. Some councils have detailed interactive maps; others hold records only in their offices.

That is why this checker is guidance only. A result here reflects the available public datasets, which may not include every order. The authoritative answer always comes from the relevant council.