Town and Country Amenities Act 1974

8 Protection of trees in conservation areas in England and Wales

After section 61 of the [1971 c. 78.] Town and County Planning Act 1971 there shall be inserted the following section:—

“61A Trees in conservation areas.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, any person who, in relation to a tree to which this section applies, does any act which might by virtue of section 60(1)(a) above be prohibited by a tree preservation order shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this section, this section applies to any tree in a conservation area but in respect of which no tree preservation order is for the time being in force.

(3) It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) above to prove—

(a) that he served notice of his intention to do the act in question, with sufficient particulars to identify the tree, on the council of the district or London borough in whose area the tree is or was situated; and

(b) that he did the act in question—

(i) with the consent of the local planning authority in whose area the tree is or was situated, or

(ii) after the expiry of the period of six weeks from the date of the notice but before the expiry of the period of two years from that date.

(4) The Secretary of State may by regulations direct that this section shall not apply in such cases as may be specified in the regulations.

(5) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (4) above, the regulations may be framed so as to exempt from the application of this section cases defined by reference to all or any of the following matters, namely—

(a) acts of such descriptions or done in such circumstances or subject to such conditions as may be specified in the regulations;

(b) trees in such conservation areas as may be so specified;

(c) trees of a size or species so specified; or

(d) trees belonging to persons or bodies of a description so specified;

and the regulations may, in relation to any matter by reference to which an exemption is conferred by them, make different provision for different circumstances.

(6) Regulations under subsection (4) above may in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of that subsection, exempt from the application of this section cases exempted from section 60 above by subsection (6) of that section.

(7) It shall be the duty of the council of a district or a London borough to compile and keep available for public inspection free of charge at all reasonable hours and at a convenient place a register, containing such particulars as the Secretary of State may determine of notices under this section affecting trees in their area.

(8) If any tree to which this section applies is removed, uprooted or destroyed in contravention of this section or is removed, uprooted or destroyed or dies at a time when its cutting down or up rooting is authorised only by virtue of the provisions of such regulations under subsection (4) above as are mentioned in subsection (6) above, it shall be the duty of the owner of the land, unless on his application the local planning authority dispense with this requirement, to plant another tree of an appropriate size and species at the same place as soon as he reasonably can.

(9) The duty imposed by subsection (8) above on the owner of any land shall attach to the person who is from time to time the owner of the land and may be enforced as provided by section 103 of this Act and not otherwise.”.