Tree preservation orders

Protecting our trees

Trees are an important and attractive feature of the urban environment. Walsall Council has legal powers to protect them for the benefits they bring.

We can protect trees by making Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). Trees protected in this way cannot be pruned or felled without our permission.  An TPO can specify:

• a single tree
• groups of trees
• areas of trees or woodlands

They do not apply to hedges or shrubs.

Prosecution

The effect of a TPO is to make it an offence to damage or destroy, fell, top, lop or uproot the tree(s) covered, unless by our consent. We have legal powers we may use to prosecute offenders.

TPO criteria

Trees do not have to be exceptional or unusual individual specimens to merit inclusion in a TPO, but are assessed on their contribution to amenity and the local landscape. The tree officer will consider:

• the condition of the tree(s) and an assessment of future life expectancy
• the potential threat to the tree and whether it is expedient to make a TPO
• visual prominence, landscape setting, presence of other trees and function and suitability of the tree(s) to the site
• future benefits the tree might provide, growth potential, age and assessment of wildlife habitat

Current TPOs

The borough currently has over 900 TPOs. Trees in each of the borough's 18 Conservation Areas have more limited protection.

Accessibility

Some of these files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. If you use assistive technology and need a version of a document in a more accessible format, please contact us. We shall either provide you with an accessible version, or (in the case of maps and drawings) talk to you to explain the contents.

This document is updated quarterly and must not be taken as the definitive list of all TPOs within Walsall borough. Please contact us to establish whether a tree is protected or not.

Pruning or felling a protected tree

Problems with leaves, fruit or berries blocking gutters or filling gardens are not reasonable grounds for pruning or felling a protected tree.

We will not sanction the 'topping' of trees as this is neither a sustainable form of tree management nor a safe practice.

You could consider:

• other pruning operations, such as crown thinning or crown lifting
• replacing it with a tree which will naturally grow to a smaller size

If you are in doubt about what kind of care your tree requires, consult a competent arborist or visit the Arboricultural Association website.

If we have to fell a protected tree because it is causing damage, we will secure replacements to maintain the borough's tree cover.

Consent to prune or fell a protected tree

If you intend to carry out work on a protected tree, you must submit an application for consent under the TPO. We encourage you to get advice from an arboriculturalist before making an application.

Your application in full will be part of the public register. It may become accessible via the our website and can in certain circumstances be copied to neighbours and other third parties.

Useful contacts

• Arboricultural Association
• International Society of Arborists
• Municipal Tree Officers Association