Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011

Preservation of trees in conservation areas

127.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this section and section 128, any person who, in relation to a tree to which this section applies, does any act which might by virtue of section 122(1)(a) be prohibited by a tree preservation order shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Subject to section 128, this section applies to any tree in a conservation area 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) to prove—

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

(b) that that person did the act in question—

(i) with the consent of the council in whose district the tree is or was situated; or

(ii) after the expiry of the period of 6 weeks from the date of the notice but before the expiry of the period of 2 years from that date.

(4) Section 126 shall apply to an offence under this section as it applies to a contravention of a tree preservation order.

(5) An emanation of the Crown must not, in relation to a tree to which this section applies, do any act mentioned in subsection (1) unless—

(a) the first condition is satisfied; and

(b) either the second or third condition is satisfied.

(6) The first condition is that the emanation serves notice of an intention to do the act (with sufficient particulars to identify the tree) on the council in whose district the tree is or was situated.

(7) The second condition is that the act is done with the consent of the council in whose district the tree is or was situated.

(8) The third condition is that the act is done—

(a) after the end of the period of 6 weeks starting with the date of the notice; and

(b) before the end of the period of 2 years starting with that date.