Felling Trees? Do I need permission?

[andy9781]

I have just taken a property on which has quite a few trees - ideally I would like to bring them down but am hearing whispers that I need a licence? The property is rural and some of the trees are close to the property/drains and likely to cause damage if not taken down. I am wanting to take others down for aesthetic reasons and to increase the garden size.

Anybody with any knowledge of permissions required/sanctions if I go ahead without permission?

 

[Richard C]

You need to check if any of them have Tree Preservation Orders (TPO); if not & they are on your land, you can do what you like with them but the local huggers may moan about you felling them. The first thing a property developer friend does on a new site is to raze any tree's within 10 meters of any foundations he will be laying otherwise Building Control want you to lay foundations down to Australia.

Don't touch a tree with a TPO though; I think the fine can be up to £6000 per tree!

 

[jeds]

If you are in a conservation area or listed building you will also need permission to remove most trees and all hedgerows.

 

[DevilDamo]

On some local authority websites, they give you the ability to search for your property and that will tell you things like... TPO's at/near your house, conservation area, green belt, listed buildings, refuse collection, etc... so then you'd know if there are any (blanket) TPO's and whether a licence is required to carry out particular works on the trees.

Surely you would have been provided such information prior to taking ownership of the property.

 

[Richard C]

Surely you would have been provided such information prior to taking ownership of the property.

Which probably means there arn't any

 

[andy9781]

Guys. Thank you for your advice. It is much appreciated. Andy

 

[DevilDamo]

Surely you would have been provided such information prior to taking ownership of the property.

Which probably means there arn't any

Not necessarily because in a lot of situations, people carry out works with without building reg's (e.g. installation of a W.C.). The surveyor may not have picked it up and so no information would have been made available. That doesn't mean Reg's was not required... does it

 

[mattylad]

Do not ask the council if there is a TPO on the trees, or they may well slap an emergency one on until a full one can be arranged.

Just go down & ask to see the register of TPO'd trees for your area.

If yours are not on it then you should be OK as far as TPO'd trees go.

 

[Richard C]

Do not ask the council if there is a TPO on the trees, or they may well slap an emergency one on until a full one can be arranged.

Just go down & ask to see the register of TPO'd trees for your area.

If yours are not on it then you should be OK as far as TPO'd trees go.

Yes; should have thought of that, very good advice.

 

[DevilDamo]

I've just been onto the Kent and Sevenoaks county council websites and I can't find if they carry out an online search facility type of facility where it asks you to input your postal address and it provides you with the information for that area (e.g. conservation area, listed buildings, green belt, TPO's). it just asks you to contact the Planning Department, which as mentioned above... may not be the best idea. But I'm not sure how easy it is for them to wack a TPO on a tree... that quickly.

Our local council has the search facility.

 

[Adrian80]

Getting permission to fell trees really isn't that big a deal, did it once in a conservation area. There are certain things like if you change the look of the area you wont be able to, public amenity is another, also you can argue if they are going to damage the property you will hold them liable if the dont let you take it down, but be more subtle then that.

The tree huggers are your worst problem.

They are everywhere!!!

My usual tactic is, get permission off council if needed. Sharpen your chain saw the day before(inside). Get up really early say 6:00 am and start work. Make sure you safely isolate the area , and have someone watching your back, you dont want to get tackled holding a chain saw.. then get cracking, fell everything then chop it up on the floor.

I did 4 massive trees in under an hour.

Then the tree huggers appeared complaining, well i waived the paper from the council at the them, and said feel free if you want to stick them back together..

good luck

 

[DevilDamo]

Sharpen your chain saw the day before(inside). Get up really early say 6:00 am and start work. Make sure you safely isolate the area , and have someone watching your back, you dont want to get tackled holding a chain saw.. then get cracking, fell everything then chop it up on the floor.

I'm not too sure that advice is the correct advice to be given.

And in reality... I don't think external works could commence that early. Can the LA impose working hours for works on tree's like they can on construction works?

I know of one occasion where one of our demolition contractors "accidentally" knocked over a tree. I can't remember if it was protected but before we could sort out what to do with it, etc... the next day... it was gone

 

[Adrian80]

I am not suggesting this an everyday occurrence. just a way of avoid the crazed tree huggers. I am still saying get permission if required, and then get on with it.

any how by the time anyone had a chance to complain about the noise the trees would be on the floor.. Objective achieved.

 

[DevilDamo]

And say hello to a fine/court appearance.

 

[Thermo]

Do not ask the council if there is a TPO on the trees, or they may well slap an emergency one on until a full one can be arranged.

Just go down & ask to see the register of TPO'd trees for your area.

If yours are not on it then you should be OK as far as TPO'd trees go.

the chances of them doing that are extremley unlikely.