Trees
Street tree pruning and planning
The Council manages over 7,000 street trees.
This involves planting new trees and removing old, dead, dying or
dangerous trees if necessary. We also prune the street trees to
ensure free passage for pedestrians and vehicles using the public
highway as well as providing adequate clearance from properties,
whilst retaining a pleasing and balanced appearance. We
employ a contractor to undertake this work for us.
If you wish to report a dangerous or overgrown tree, please
either e-mail us at planning@rbkc.gov.uk, or call 020
7361 3012 during normal office hours or if it is outside normal
office hours, ring 020 7361 3000
Tree strategy
The aim of the Tree Strategy is to ensure that
trees are planted, preserved and maintained in accordance with
sound arboricultural practices while regarding their contribution
to the amenity and the urban landscape for both current and future
generations. You can download the Tree Strategy below, or you can
request a hard copy by ringing the Planning Information desk on 020
7361 3012.
Trees and Development
Trees are at risk from the pressures of
development. In determining a planning application where trees may
be affected, Planning Officers will seek the opinion of the
Arboricultural Section to assist in the decision making
process.
The Trees and Development Supplementary
Planning Document (SPD) sets out the Council’s requirements and
provides advice in relation to any proposed development with trees
on or near the site. It is supplementary to policies in the
Core Strategy – see Policy CR6. It has also had regard to the
Council’s Tree Strategy.
The draft SPD was published for consultation
for six-weeks, from 6 November 2009 to the 18 December 2009.
The SPD was adopted by the Council on the 20 April 2010 and
can be downloaded from the Trees and
Development webpage.
Hard copies of the documents are also
available for inspection at the Planning Information Desk, Town
Hall and at all local libraries in the Royal Borough.
For further information, please contact the
Planning Line on 020 7361 3012 or email mailto:planning.info@rbkc.gov or
planning@rbkc.gov.uk.
Tree Preservation Orders
A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) gives a tree
legal protection and makes it an offence to cut any part of the
tree, including the roots, without having first obtained Council
permission. Trees in Conservation Areas are also protected by the
law. If you deliberately destroy a protected tree, or damage it in
a manner likely to destroy it, you could be fined up to £20,000 if
convicted in the magistrates’ court. For other offences you could
be fined up to £2,500.
You can find out if any trees on your land are
the subject of a TPO or situated in a Conservation Area by ringing
the planning help line on 020 7361 3012 or by visiting the Planning
Information Desk at the Town Hall.
Below are lists of Tree Preservation Orders
(TPOs) as at 1 June 2012. However please note that new orders are
being issued all the time, and we cannot guarantee the completeness
of this list. Therefore you should check with the Arboriculture
Team on 020 7361 3012 before relying on this information.
Copies of TPOs are available from the Planning Department. You
can obtain a copy by writing to Planning and Borough Development,
Records Section, Town Hall, Hornton Street, W8 7NX or by e-mailing
planning@rbkc.gov.uk. Copies of Tree Preservation Orders are
charged at £17.
Tree applications and decisions
Most tree work will require you to make an application for
approval before carrying it out. You will always require
permission to work on a tree if the trunk has a diameter
greater than 75mm (measured at 1.5 metres above the ground), and
is growing in a Conservation Area or is covered by a Tree
Preservation Order (TPO). Complete the following form to
apply for tree works to trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order
or located in a conservation area:
Application for Tree Works [PDF file] (file
size 230Kb)
There is no charge to submit a tree works
application.
There is no charge to submit a tree works application.
Search for Tree Decisions
You can search for tree planning decisions for works to trees
since May 2004:
online search form
Please note that tree decisions that are shown as ‘refused’ may
be subject to appeal or have been overturned on appeal.
Search for Tree Applications
You can search for tree applications that have been submitted in
the last six months: online
search form
Alternatively, every Friday we prepare a list of all tree
applications registered in the previous week. If you would like to
receive regular notifications of tree applications in your area,
you can subscribe to receive these lists by e-mail. Click here to
sign up to our Email Notification
service.
You may comment on applications by email, quoting the planning
application number, to planning@rbkc.gov.uk. In all
communications, please ensure that you quote the reference number
of the application you are writing about.
Advice on tree works
The Council does not have a list of Approved Tree Surgeons but
recommends that residents use the Arboricultural Association’s
‘Approved Contractors List’.
Similarly for arboricultural advice the same organisation
provides a list of
’Approved Consultants’.
You are strongly advised never to employ workers who knock on
your door offering their services as they often overcharge, do
illegal and poor quality work and breach health and safety
rules.
If you require advice please call the Council‘s Arboricultural
Section on 020 7361 2767.
Page last updated 13 June 2012