Homeowners are being warned they could face fines of up to €23,000 for carrying out certain work in their own gardens.
The majority of Irish homes either have gardens out the front and/or back of the property with many having a trees that have seen multiple home owners.
Given the lifespan of many trees, it’s common for them to outlive multiple owners and gardeners, making it challenging to trace their planting history.
While it might seem logical that you can freely trim anything within your garden’s boundaries, doing so could potentially land you with a hefty fine of up to €23,000.
Chris Bonnett from GardeningExpress is advising homeowners to verify if their trees are protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) before taking any drastic action.
This advice follows the recent incident where pop star Robbie Williams was given the green light to fell a protected Norway Maple tree in his £17 million London mansion’s garden after it fell victim to honey fungus.
The ‘Rock DJ’ singer sought permission from Kensington and Chelsea Council to remove the tree, sparking several neighbours to pen letters to the council opposing his plans.
However, officials ultimately ruled that due to its poor health, the tree could be removed. It’s worth noting that intentionally damaging or removing a tree under a TPO can result in a substantial fine of up to €23,000.
If necessary, these protected trees can still be pruned or removed, but homeowners must follow a specific government process and submit an application.
Nick Wood, a gardening expert at GardeningExpress, explained: “Trees are usually placed under TPOs because they’re considered important to the local area, they may add beauty or be good for the environment.”
“If you’re thinking of doing any work to your home or garden that involves heavily pruning or removing a tree it’s really important you check if it’s under a TPO or not. Cutting down a tree that is under this order can result in a huge fine of up to €23,000! “.
“If your tree is under a TPO you’ll have to make a ‘work to tree’ application through the government where you’ll have to map out exactly what you want to do.”
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