We want to protect our trees, which are an important part of the natural environment and open space.
There are three situations when work to trees will need special permission:
- if the tree is in a conservation area
- if it had a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) attached to it
- or if the tree is protected by a planning condition.
If you're not sure whether a tree falls into these categories, contact the Tree Officer.
1. Trees in Conservation Areas
You must notify the planning department of all works to trees in Conservation Areas six weeks before you plan to start work.
This includes work to trees in private gardens, more than 75mm in diameter at 1.5m above the ground.
You can complete and send to us the 'works to trees' application form or contact us for a form and leaflet.
2. Tree Preservation Orders
Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) make it an offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot, wilfully damage or destroy a tree without permission. There are 370 TPOs and rising in the borough.
You could be fined £20,000 for destroying a tree with a TPO.
If you are planning work to these trees, you can complete and send to us the 'works to trees' application form or contact us for a form and leaflet.
3. Trees protected by planning conditions
Some newer developments or those built after 1970 may have had conditions about nearby trees attached to the planning permission.
Contact the Tree Officer to find out whether your property has trees protected in this way.
If your tree is protected in this way, an application, in the form of a letter will need to be submitted to:
Development Control
1st Floor, Peggy Middleton House
Woolwich New Road
London SE18 6HQ
Download application forms
Reporting tree damage
To report damage to trees please call Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm:
- trees in the street - 020 8921 5477
- trees in parks and open spaces - 020 8856 2232.
Outside office hours, telephone 020 8854 8888.
More information about tree damage