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🏛️ Conservation Area Specialists

Tree Work in
Conservation Areas

Specialist tree surgery and Section 211 notifications for trees in conservation areas across Winchester and Hampshire — handled correctly from start to finish.

Get a Quote
📞 01962 000 000

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Experienced in working within Winchester’s conservation areas

🎓NPTC QualifiedCity & Guilds certified arborists
📄Section 211 HandledWe submit the notification for you
🏛️Conservation Area ExpertsDeep knowledge of local areas
🛡️£5m Public LiabilityFully insured on every job

What Is Section 211?

If you want to cut down, prune or carry out any significant work on a tree within a designated conservation area, you must give the local planning authority (LPA) six weeks’ notice beforehand. This is known as a Section 211 notification, after Section 211 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

The six-week notice period gives the LPA time to decide whether to make the tree the subject of a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). If they don’t respond or don’t make a TPO within six weeks, you can go ahead with the work.

It’s important to be precise about what work you’re proposing. Vague notifications can be rejected, and carrying out work that isn’t covered by a valid notification can result in prosecution, even if the tree has no TPO.

Winchester’s conservation areas include the city centre, Cathedral Close, Hyde, St Cross, Weeke, and a number of villages such as Twyford, Kings Worthy and Sparsholt. If you’re unsure whether your property falls within a conservation area, we can check for you.

What We Handle

  • Confirm whether your tree is in a conservation area and whether Section 211 applies
  • Draft and submit the Section 211 notification on your behalf
  • Specify the work clearly to avoid notifications being rejected
  • Advise on timescales and what to do if the council responds
  • Carry out the tree work once the six-week period has elapsed (or consent is given)
  • Advise on TPO exemptions for dead, dying or dangerous trees in conservation areas
  • Support you if the LPA issues a TPO in response to your notification
  • Prepare supporting statements where work is contested

Tree Work We Carry Out in Conservation Areas

All standard tree surgery operations — subject to the correct notifications being in place first.

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Crown Reduction

Reducing the height or spread of a tree whilst retaining its natural form. Common requirement in conservation areas where trees have grown close to buildings. See crown reduction.

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Deadwooding

Removal of dead, dying or dangerous branches. Often permitted without notification on safety grounds, but we advise you on this rather than assuming. See deadwooding.

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Tree Removal

Removal of trees where they pose a safety risk, are in poor condition, or where removal is appropriate. Requires Section 211 notification unless the tree is dead, dying or dangerous. See tree removal.

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Crown Lifting

Removing lower branches to raise the canopy — common near roads, paths and buildings. See crown lifting.

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Crown Thinning

Selective removal of branches within the crown to reduce wind resistance and improve light. See crown thinning.

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Stump Grinding

Following removal, stumps can be ground out below ground level. We include this in our notification where relevant. See stump grinding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — any tree with a trunk diameter of 75mm or more at 1.5m above ground level in a conservation area is protected. You must give the local planning authority six weeks’ written notice before carrying out any pruning, felling, or significant work. The only exemption is urgent work on a tree that is dead, dying or poses an immediate danger, in which case you should notify the LPA as soon as reasonably practicable.

The council may respond in several ways: they may confirm they have no objections (allowing you to proceed before the six weeks is up), they may make the tree the subject of a TPO (which triggers the TPO consent process), or they may respond with comments or concerns. We handle all correspondence with the council on your behalf and advise you on next steps if a TPO is made.

Yes — Winchester has an extensive conservation area covering the city centre, Cathedral Close, Hyde, and parts of St Giles Hill. Many surrounding villages, including Twyford, Kings Worthy, Sparsholt and Hursley, also fall within designated conservation areas. If you’re not sure whether your address is within a conservation area, we can check for you before you instruct any work.

Conservation area protection requires you to give six weeks’ notice before work, after which you can proceed if the council doesn’t respond. A TPO (Tree Preservation Order) is a more formal protection — you must apply for and receive written consent before doing any work, and the council can refuse or impose conditions. Both forms of protection apply across Hampshire and we handle both processes. See our TPO applications page for more detail.

Need Tree Work in a Conservation Area?

We handle the notification, advise you on the process, and carry out the work once consent is in place. No guesswork, no compliance risk.

Get in Touch
📞 Call 01962 000 000

📞 Call Now
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