Work on Protected Trees in Carlisle
How Tree Preservation Orders and conservation areas work around Carlisle, and qualified teams to carry out the work once it’s approved.
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Is Your Tree Protected?
Carlisle Tree Surgeons arranges protected trees (tpo) across Carlisle, the Eden Valley and the surrounding towns, carried out by NPTC-qualified, fully insured tree surgery teams.
Councils protect individual trees, groups and woodlands with Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), and trees in conservation areas are protected too. The former Carlisle district has 20 conservation areas, including Carlisle City Centre, Stanwix, Chatsworth Square and Portland Square, Botchergate, Wetheral, Great Corby, Warwick-on-Eden, Dalston, Burgh by Sands, Brampton and Longtown. Since 2023, Carlisle, Wigton, Silloth and Cockermouth have all been covered by Cumberland Council, Penrith by Westmorland and Furness Council, and Haltwhistle by Northumberland County Council. Each keeps its own records.
Working on a protected tree without consent, or without giving notice in a conservation area, is a criminal offence. Fines can reach £20,000 in the magistrates’ court and are unlimited in the Crown Court, and the council can require a replacement tree to be planted. If we think a tree might be covered, we’ll tell you when we quote.
How Consent Works in England
For a TPO tree, the owner or someone acting for them applies to the local planning authority, describing exactly what work is proposed. There’s no fee, the council normally decides within eight weeks, and consent usually lasts two years. For a tree in a conservation area without a TPO, you give at least six weeks’ notice instead. The council either lets the work go ahead or protects the tree with a TPO. Both can be made through the Planning Portal. Conservation area rules apply to trees with a trunk more than 75mm across, measured 1.5 metres above the ground.
A precise specification, such as “reduce crown by 2 metres, cutting to suitable growth points, to BS 3998”, makes the application clear. We’ll write one for you to use, and once consent is granted, or the six weeks have passed, our teams carry out exactly what was approved and nothing more.
Good to Know Before You Book
- Dead or dangerous trees
In England you must give the council five working days’ notice before removing a dead protected tree, unless it is an urgent safety risk. Photograph the tree and keep a record.
- National Landscapes and the National Park
Parts of our area sit in the Solway Coast and North Pennines National Landscapes, and the Lake District National Park is close by. These designations don’t protect garden trees by themselves, but inside the National Park the Lake District National Park Authority handles tree applications.
- Bigger felling jobs
Felling a lot of timber on farmland or in woodland can need a felling licence from the Forestry Commission. Trees in private gardens are exempt.
Protected Trees (TPO): Common Questions
How do I check if my tree is protected?
Contact the planning department at Cumberland Council (Carlisle, Wigton, Silloth, Cockermouth), Westmorland and Furness Council (Penrith) or Northumberland County Council (Haltwhistle). Trees on newer estates can also be protected by a condition on the original planning permission.
Who applies for consent, me or the tree surgeon?
The owner or someone acting for them can apply. We’ll give you a clear written specification of the work to use in the application, and we won’t start until consent is granted or the six-week notice period has passed.
How long does consent last?
TPO consent normally lasts two years from approval, and a conservation area notice covers work carried out within two years of the notice. After that you need to apply or give notice again.
Can I cut back branches from a neighbour’s protected tree?
Not without consent. The protection applies to the whole tree, including branches hanging over your side of the boundary, so the same application or notice is needed first.
Protected Trees (TPO) Across the Area
Our teams carry out protected trees (tpo) in Carlisle and these nearby towns and villages.
Related Services
Tree Removal & Felling
Straight felling where there’s room, sectional dismantling where there isn’t.
Crown Reduction
Bring an oversized tree back to scale while keeping its natural shape and health.
Crown Thinning
Let light and wind through a dense canopy without changing the tree’s size.
Tree Pruning
Formative, maintenance and fruit tree pruning, cut correctly to BS 3998.
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