Home › Guides › Tree pruning: when to prune, and when you need council permission
Pruning trees at the right time of year keeps them healthy, maintains their shape, and reduces disease risk. But knowing when to prune is only half the story: trees on your property may be protected by law, and permission may be required before you even pick up the pruning saw.
Best time to prune by tree type
Deciduous trees are generally pruned during winter when they are dormant, making the branch structure easier to see. However, specific species require different timing to avoid disease or excessive sap loss. The timing is critical because it affects tree health and future disease risk.
Birch and Japanese maples should be pruned in autumn or early winter to minimise excessive bleeding. Magnolias and walnut trees heal best when pruned between mid-summer and early autumn.
Stone fruit trees—including cherries, plums, apricots, and nectarines—have strict timing requirements. Prunus species (cherries and plums especially) should be pruned between April and July to prevent infection by silver leaf disease. Plums are particularly vulnerable to this fungal disease in winter, when open wounds remain susceptible for longer. Avoid any pruning of plums between November and March.
Evergreen trees such as conifers can be pruned from April through late August. Non-coniferous evergreens like holly respond well to spring pruning.
Fruit trees such as apples and pears are pruned during winter dormancy to maintain productivity and control their size.
Tree Preservation Orders: what you need to know
A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is a legal designation that protects individual trees or groups of trees because of their amenity value and impact on their surroundings. The local planning authority issues TPOs to prevent damage or removal without written consent.
If a tree on your property is subject to a TPO, you must obtain council consent before carrying out any pruning, cutting, or other work. This applies regardless of whether the work seems minor. The only exception is work on trees that are genuinely dead, dying, or have become dangerous—but you carry the burden of proof.
Applying for TPO consent involves submitting an application to your local council’s planning department. The council typically takes eight weeks to process applications. Carrying out unpermitted work on a TPO-protected tree can result in significant fines: up to £20,000 at a Magistrates’ Court, or potentially unlimited fines at Crown Court.
Always check with your local council first if you are unsure whether a tree has TPO protection. In Wiltshire, contact Wiltshire Council’s planning team for verification.
Trees in conservation areas
If your property is within a conservation area (a neighbourhood designated for historic or architectural character), trees are protected even without a specific Tree Preservation Order. Before undertaking any work on such trees, you must notify the local planning authority by submitting a “section 211 notice.”
This notice must describe the proposed work in sufficient detail to identify the tree and specify what will be done. You must wait six weeks after submitting notice before beginning work. During this period, the council may decide to place a Tree Preservation Order on the tree, which would then require formal consent.
Exemptions from notice include:
- Trees with a trunk diameter of 75 mm or less at 1.5 metres above ground level
- Work on fruit trees where pruning is needed for fruit production
- Removal of dead branches from living trees
- Work necessary for public highway clearance
Unauthorised work on conservation area trees can result in fines up to £2,500 for pruning without consent and up to £20,000 for cutting down a tree without permission.
When to hire a professional tree surgeon
For large trees, work at height, or complex pruning, hiring a qualified tree surgeon is the safest approach. The Arboricultural Association maintains a directory of ARB Approved Contractors who have been assessed for competence, health and safety standards, and quality of work.
When choosing a tree surgeon, verify that they hold current professional qualifications such as those from NPTC or LANTRA, have appropriate public liability insurance (minimum £5 million), follow British Standard BS 3998, and can provide references. Ask for a detailed written quote that specifies the scope of work, material disposal arrangements, and any legal considerations such as TPO or conservation area requirements.
Avoid contractors who leave unsolicited leaflets, lack proper personal protective equipment, or cannot demonstrate professional credentials. If a company doesn’t appear in the Arboricultural Association’s directory, they are not officially approved.
Key points
- Stone fruit trees (plums, cherries) must be pruned in spring or summer only, never in winter, to prevent silver leaf disease.
- Tree Preservation Orders require written council consent before any pruning work; fines for unauthorised work reach £20,000.
- Trees in conservation areas require a six-week notice period before work begins, allowing the council time to place a TPO if desired.
- Check with your local planning authority (in Wiltshire, Wiltshire Council) to confirm whether a tree is protected before arranging any work.
- Hire qualified, insured tree surgeons through the Arboricultural Association directory to ensure safe, professional work.