THE council is reminding Denbighshire residents to be aware of Tree Preservation Order (TPO) rules.

It is asking the public to remember that TPOs will protect trees from unauthorised pruning or felling, and anyone carrying out such work on a TPO tree is committing an offence.

Recently, a tree was felled in Prestatyn despite having a TPO on it, forcing the council to take action against the person responsible.

A TPO is made if a tree is considered to be at risk and/or contributes significantly to the amenity of a local area. All potential TPO trees are assessed and must be in good condition to merit formal protection.

Single trees, groups of trees, woodland trees, and individual hedgerow trees can all be covered by TPOS.

TPOs cannot be used for hedges, bushes, shrubs, or for protecting every tree in a neighbourhood and stopping approved building development or infrastructure improvements, where planning permission has been granted.

If the council decides to make a TPO, it will be served on the landowner and other interested parties (e.g., adjacent landowners). A six-month provisional TPO is first created to provide immediate protection to a tree and interested parties are informed, who then have at least 28 days to object.

The public can also request a TPO by completing an online form on the council’s website.

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We are urging all landowners to stop and check before carrying out any felling work to make sure there are no current orders on trees in the area.

“It’s important to also respect these orders as trees are vital for our biodiversity, they also give a home to nesting birds who have seen numbers fall over the years, during the summer and above all it is an offence to cut down a tree with a TPO.”