How do I find the TPO map for my area?
Use your local council's online TPO register. In East Kent, search the Canterbury City Council, Ashford Borough Council, Dover District Council, Thanet District Council, Swale Borough Council, or Folkestone & Hythe District Council planning portals. Enter your postcode and the map flags every protected tree within 50 metres.
Every English district must publish its TPO register under the Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation) (England) Regulations 2012. Most Kent councils now host an interactive GIS layer rather than a static PDF schedule, so you can zoom to your exact address and click a pin for the order reference, the date it was made, and the species protected.
| Council | Where to check | Approx. protected trees |
|---|---|---|
| Canterbury City Council | Public Access planning map, TPO layer | ~1,200 |
| Ashford Borough Council | Planning Online, "Constraints" layer | ~900 |
| Dover District Council | DDC planning portal map view | ~700 |
| Thanet District Council | Thanet Planning Explorer GIS | ~500 |
| Swale Borough Council | Swale Planning Search constraints layer | ~600 |
| Folkestone & Hythe District Council | F&H planning map, environment overlay | ~550 |
What does a TPO map show?
A TPO map shows individual protected trees, groups, woodlands, and conservation areas as coloured polygons or pins. Each entry links to the original tree preservation order PDF, which lists species, the date the order was made, and any specific exemptions. Boundary lines also flag conservation areas.
There are four categories you will see on a typical Kent map. Individual trees appear as single pins or dots. Groups appear as a string of linked markers, common along avenues and field boundaries. Areas are solid polygons drawn around a cluster, typically older orders from the 1960s and 1970s. Woodlands are large hatched polygons covering whole copses.
Click any marker and the popup gives you the TPO reference (e.g. "TPO/CAN/238"), the year of the order, and a link to the scanned PDF. The PDF is the legal document — the map is only an index — so always cross-check the schedule before assuming a tree on your boundary is or is not protected. For the full regulatory picture see our guide to TPO permission for stump removal.
How to read a Kent TPO map
Zoom to your address, switch on the TPO layer, then click any coloured marker for the order reference number. Green pins typically mark individual trees, hatched zones mark woodlands, and a dashed boundary marks the conservation area. The 75mm at 1.5m rule applies inside conservation areas.
| Symbol on map | Meaning | What you need to do |
|---|---|---|
| Single pin / dot | Individual TPO tree | Written council consent before any work |
| Linked pins along a line | Group TPO (e.g. avenue) | Consent required for every tree in the group |
| Solid polygon | Area TPO | Consent for any tree within the boundary |
| Hatched polygon | Woodland TPO | Forestry Commission felling licence + consent |
| Dashed boundary | Conservation area | 6 weeks' written notice for any tree >75mm at 1.5m |
Two thresholds matter most. The 75mm at 1.5 metres rule means any tree inside a conservation area with a trunk diameter wider than 75mm — measured 1.5 metres above ground level — is automatically protected, even without a specific TPO. And the 6-week notice rule means you must serve a Section 211 notice on the council 6 weeks before doing anything, giving them a window to slap a full TPO on the tree if they want to.
What if a tree is on the TPO map?
If a tree is on the TPO map you must apply to the council for written consent before any felling, lopping, topping, or uprooting. The standard application is free, the council has 8 weeks to decide, and unauthorised work risks a fine of up to £20,000 per tree in the magistrates' court, or unlimited fines on indictment.
The application form is the same across every district in Kent — it is a national form, "Works to trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order and/or notification of proposed works to trees in conservation areas." You will need:
- The TPO reference number from the map
- A site plan with the tree marked
- A description of the proposed work (felling, crown reduction, dead-wooding etc.)
- An arboricultural justification — usually a short report from a qualified tree surgeon
- Recent photographs of the tree
One genuine carve-out exists. The 5-day exemption (Regulation 14 of the 2012 Regulations) allows urgent work on a tree that is dead, dying, or an immediate danger to people or property, provided you give the council 5 working days' written notice with photo evidence beforehand — except where the tree is in immediate danger of falling, in which case work can proceed at once and notice follows within 5 days. Keep dated photos and any quotes; the council can challenge the exemption retrospectively.
What about the stump after a TPO tree is felled?
A tree preservation order continues to cover the stump and roots after felling. Section 206 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 imposes a duty to plant a replacement tree of an appropriate size and species in the same position, and grinding the stump prematurely can interfere with that replacement obligation. Always grind under the same consent that authorised the felling.
In practice the council's consent letter usually specifies a window for stump removal and replanting — typically 6 to 12 months. Once you have that letter we can grind the stump, leave a planting pocket of fresh topsoil, and you are clear to plant the replacement sapling that satisfies your statutory duty. We work to TPO consents weekly in Canterbury and the surrounding villages — see our Canterbury stump grinding service for local context.
How quickly can The Stump Doctor work on a TPO stump?
Once you have written council consent we can usually book a TPO stump grind within 2 weeks. The grind itself takes 15 to 90 minutes depending on stump size, costs £85 to £300, and we backfill with the chippings or remove them off-site at your choice. We never touch a TPO stump without seeing the consent letter first.
Send the TPO reference, the consent letter, and a photo of the stump when you request a free quote and you get a fixed price back the same day. No callout fee, no deposit, and we keep a copy of your consent on file in case the council inspects the work.
