Wildlife Advice: Trees

Trees and woodland are an important part of the Powys landscape. As well as native deciduous broadleaf woodland, there are large tracts of commercial conifer woodland managed by Natural Resources Wales, private forestry companies and landowners.

Before falling a tree on private property you may want to contact our planning department to ensure it's not subject to a TPO or in a conservation area

The council is responsible for maintaining trees on its own land and can take action to manage trees along public highways where there is a potential danger to highway users. If you have a concern about one of the council's trees or a tree along a public highway you can report it on Highways Pages. For information about trees next to public rights of way go to the Public Rights of Way pages.

Advice

Landowners and occupiers are responsible for managing trees on private land. The council does not have a dedicated tree officer, and so we can't provide specialist advice about tree health or dangerous trees. If you have a concern about your own tree or that of one of your neighbours (who is not the council) you should seek expert advice from a qualified, experienced tree surgeon (arboriculturalist). Choose one who is familiar with the legal requirements to protect bats and nesting birds.

Protected Trees

Trees within town and village Conservation Areas or subject to Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) will need consent from Planning Services before any work can be carried out on them. To find out whether a tree is within a built heritage area or subject to a TPO, or to report damage to a tree with a TPO, please contact Planning and Building Control.

Please note that Powys County Council is not directly responsible for works affecting trees and hedgerows carried out by:

utility companies (electricity, telecommunications, water, gas)
private landowners on their own land (including when alongside a highway or public right of way)
the Welsh Assembly Government, e.g. major road schemes

Help with trees

The council is responsible for maintaining trees on its own land and can take action to manage trees along public highways where there is a potential danger to highway users. Landowners and occupiers are responsible for managing trees on private land.

Trees along public highway

If you have a concern about one of the council's trees or a tree along a public highway you can report it using our online form.

If the tree has actually fallen onto the highway, please ring 0345 6076060 urgently to report the issue.

Trees obstructing rights of way

If a tree or large branch falls across a public right of way, the removal of the branch or tree is the responsibility of the owner of the tree.

Please contact us if you see a tree or branch blocking a right of way. We'll contact the owner of the tree and ask them to remove the obstruction within a reasonable time. If they don't, we'll remove the branch/tree and recover our costs from the owner.

Damaged or unhealthy trees

We don't have a dedicated tree officer, and so we can't provide specialist advice about tree health or dangerous trees.

If you have a concern about your own tree or a tree belonging to one of your neighbours (who is not the council) you should seek expert advice from a qualified, experienced tree surgeon (arboriculturalist). Choose one who is familiar with the legal requirements to protect bats and nesting birds.

Landowners and occupiers are responsible for managing trees on private land.

Protected Trees

Trees within town and village Conservation Areas or subject to Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) will need consent from Planning Services before any work can be carried out on them.

Download the application form for tree works: works to trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) and/or notification of proposed works to trees in Conservation Areas (CA)

To find out whether a tree is within a built heritage area or subject to a TPO, or to report damage to a tree with a TPO, please contact Planning and Building Control.