As beautiful as trees undoubtedly are, when it comes to garden landscaping and redesign, it may be necessary to clear some additional space in order to achieve the desired end result.
A mistake that people often make is thinking that because they own the land, they’re entitled to chop down any and all trees they like. However, doing so can actually land you in a bit of hot water if you’re not careful, so it’s always best to err on the side of caution and make sure you have the necessary permissions in place before you get the chainsaw out.
Always get in touch with your local authority before carrying out any work. You could also go the extra mile and double check with organisations like the Forestry Commission or Natural England, just to be on the safe side.
If the tree in question is on your own land and in your own garden, then you won’t need to have permission to fell it unless you live in a designated conservation area, or if the tree is under a preservation order of some kind.
If your tree does have a preservation order, all is not yet lost. If you do obtain permission to fell it, you will need to replace it with another species. For example, if you need to chop the tree down because it’s grown too big, you could consider planting smaller trees that won’t cause similar problems in the future.
These orders come from your local planning authority and are put in place to protect woodlands and/or specific trees. It’s certainly worth investigating whether such orders have been implemented because you could be fined up to £20,000 if you do cause damage without seeking permission first.