Tree Preservation Order (TPO) Regulations & Guidance

Trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) are legally safeguarded against unauthorized work. Under regulations enforced by Reading Borough Council, executing any works on a protected tree without prior written consent from the Local Planning Authority is strictly prohibited.

Specifically, unless an explicit legal exemption applies, a TPO prevents the cutting down, topping, lopping, uprooting, willful damage, or willful destruction of designated trees.

Works Requiring Prior Council Permission

Formal approval from Reading Borough Council is required before undertaking any of the following activities:

• Tree Removal: Felling, uprooting, or complete removal of the tree.

• Pruning & Maintenance: Cutting back, topping, or lopping major limbs and branches.

• Root Protection Area (RPA) Works: Excavating, trenching, or cutting roots within the tree’s root protection zone.

• Ground & Landscape Alterations: Heavy landscaping, paving, grading, or deep digging near the trunk or root system.

Exemptions & Permitted Works Without Prior Consent

In specific, limited circumstances, certain works may be carried out without standard prior approval:

• Deadwood Removal: Removing dead branches from an otherwise healthy tree, provided the work is strictly confined to dead tissue and does not damage live parts of the tree.

• Immediate Risk Mitigation: Addressing urgent emergencies where a tree presents an immediate, demonstrably high risk of serious harm (e.g., severe storm damage threatening immediate safety).

• Emergency Work Notification: For urgent safety works, property owners should still provide at least five working days’ written notice to the council whenever practically possible.

Application Process & Legal Implications

• Submitting an Application: Applications for tree works must be submitted online via the national Planning Portal.

• Review Period: Reading Borough Council typically processes and determines tree work applications within eight weeks of receipt.

• Penalties for Non-Compliance: Carrying out unauthorized works on a protected tree constitutes a criminal offense, which can result in prosecution and unlimited fines.