Do I need permission to fell a tree in York?

York is a conservation-heavy city with a lot of protected trees, so this comes up more here than almost anywhere. Cutting a protected tree without permission is a criminal offence with serious fines — so it's worth knowing where you stand before you pick up a saw or hire anyone.

When you DO need permission

You need the council's written consent before work if either of these applies:

• The tree has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). A TPO makes it an offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot or wilfully damage the tree without consent. You apply to the council — it's free — and they aim to decide within eight weeks.
• The tree is in a conservation area and its trunk is more than 75mm across (measured at 1.5m up). Here you give the council six weeks' written notice before work; in that time they can either make a TPO or let the notice lapse, after which you can proceed. Much of central York and its suburbs is conservation area.

When you DON'T

Some work is exempt — but you usually still have to notify the council, and 'I thought it was fine' is not a defence:

• Dead trees — give the council five working days' notice first (except in a genuine emergency).
• Genuinely dangerous trees or branches — work to remove an immediate risk is exempt, but notify the council in writing as soon as you can.
• Small trees in a conservation area under 75mm diameter.

A felling licence from the Forestry Commission is a separate matter, but most garden tree work is exempt — it generally only bites when you fell more than 5 cubic metres of timber in a calendar quarter.

The penalties

They're not trivial. Felling or destroying a protected tree can mean a fine of up to £20,000 in the magistrates' court, an unlimited fine in the crown court, and a legal duty to plant a replacement. Lesser unauthorised works can bring a fine of up to £2,500.

How to check — and how we help

City of York Council keeps an online map of TPOs and conservation areas, but it can lag behind, and a boundary tree is sometimes registered under a neighbour's address — so the safe approach is to confirm directly with the council's tree team. When you ask us to quote, we do that check for you, tell you straight whether consent is needed, and prepare and submit the council application on your behalf. It turns the part everyone worries about into the part you don't have to think about.