Can you cut down a tree in your garden?

When a tree in your own garden is protected, how to check, and why it is worth doing before the saw comes out.

A tree being in your garden does not always mean it is yours to fell. Some trees are protected, and cutting a protected one without consent can bring a substantial fine, so the check comes before the work.

When you need permission

• The tree has a Tree Preservation Order on it, which any tree can, whatever its size.
• It is in a conservation area, where most trees over a certain size are protected and the council must be given six weeks written notice before work.
• A planning condition on the property requires certain trees to be kept.

How to check

Your local council holds the register of Tree Preservation Orders and can confirm whether an address is in a conservation area. A quick call or search before booking work is far cheaper than the fine for getting it wrong, and a good tree surgeon will ask about it as a matter of course.

Garden clearance and tree and hedge work are listed under gardening on Halo Hive. Where a tree is protected, the check is the customer's to make with the council, and the professional works within it.

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Last reviewed 2026-09-28.