Do I need council permission for hedge or tree work in Ramsgate? A decision guide
£20,000. That is the maximum penalty per tree for carrying out unauthorised work in the Ramsgate Conservation Area. The permission process to avoid it takes six weeks and costs nothing to apply for. This guide walks you through which route applies to your situation.
How to use this guide
There are three separate legal routes that can affect hedge and tree work in Ramsgate: Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), Section 211 Conservation Area notices, and the Part 8 high-hedges complaint procedure. They are not connected to each other and can each apply independently. Work through the steps below in order.
Step 1: Check for a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)
A TPO is a council order that protects a specific tree or group of trees regardless of where they are. TPOs are not limited to Conservation Areas. They can be placed on a tree in any garden in Ramsgate.
How to check: Use Thanet District Council's online planning map (available via the council's planning portal at thanet.gov.uk) and search your postcode. TPOs are shown as overlays. You can also phone or email the planning department directly if you are unsure.
If a TPO exists on your tree: you need written consent from Thanet DC before carrying out any work beyond minor pruning. There is no standard wait period, but approval is not guaranteed and the council can refuse or add conditions. Work carried out without TPO consent is a criminal offence, with fines of up to £20,000 per tree.
If no TPO exists: continue to Step 2.
Step 2: Is your property in the Ramsgate Conservation Area?
There is one Ramsgate Conservation Area. It covers the Promenade, the Royal Harbour, the town centre, East Cliff as far as Winterstoke Gardens, and the West Cliff. Properties outside those boundaries are not affected by Section 211 rules.
If you are outside the Conservation Area and there is no TPO: you are free to carry out hedge and tree work without a council notice. Skip to Step 4 for the high-hedges route, which is the only remaining route that could apply to you.
If you are inside the Conservation Area: continue to Step 3.
Step 3: Does the Section 211 notice apply?
Section 211 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 applies to trees in Conservation Areas. The key word is "trees." Hedges do not automatically trigger it. However, a hedge stem that has grown to 75 mm in diameter measured at 1.5 m from the ground is treated as a tree for Section 211 purposes.
Quick test: Get a tape measure. At 1.5 m height, measure the stem's diameter (not circumference). Below 75 mm (roughly the thickness of a large wrist): no Section 211 notice needed for that stem, though you should still proceed carefully if in doubt. At or above 75 mm: a Section 211 notice is required before you cut, prune or remove that stem.
What Section 211 requires: submit a written notice to Thanet DC before starting work. The notice must describe the tree, its location, and the work you intend to do. There is no application fee. The council then has six weeks to respond. You may not start work during those six weeks unless the council issues an earlier no-objection notice. After six weeks with no objection, you are free to proceed.
Exceptions within the CA: there are two narrow exemptions: dead trees (where you must still give five days' notice before felling) and trees that pose an immediate danger to life or property. The "immediate danger" exemption does not cover trees that are merely inconvenient or that might become dangerous in the future.
Penalty for skipping Section 211
If you carry out unauthorised work on a tree in the Ramsgate Conservation Area, the council can serve an enforcement notice. The fine on conviction can reach £20,000 per tree. The conviction is recorded against the property title. See the full guide at Section 211 notice for Ramsgate and the step-by-step application at the application walkthrough.
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, s.1: nesting season
Even where no council permission is required, it is an offence to damage or destroy an active wild bird's nest. The RSPB best-practice window for nesting runs 1 March to 31 August. Cutting outside those dates is the default safe option. Cutting inside them is permitted only after a competent visual check confirms no active nests are present. This applies to all hedge and tree work, regardless of planning status.
Step 4: The high-hedges complaint route (neighbour disputes)
The high-hedges route is entirely separate from TPOs and Conservation Area rules. It is triggered by a neighbour, not the council acting on its own. Under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, your neighbour can complain to Thanet DC if your hedge is:
- formed wholly or predominantly of evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs;
- more than 2 m in height; and
- causing a significant adverse effect on their reasonable enjoyment of their property.
The complainant pays a £350 fee to Thanet DC to open the complaint. The council then investigates both parties and, if it upholds the complaint, issues a remedial notice specifying what reduction you must carry out. A remedial notice is legally enforceable: ignoring it is a criminal offence. The process typically takes between 4 and 16 weeks, depending on the council's caseload.
If your neighbour has not yet complained: you are not required to do anything at this stage. A complaint fee of £350 deters nuisance claims, so most genuine disputes are resolved between neighbours before reaching the council. See the full detail at high-hedges law and Thanet disputes.
If your hedge fronts a pavement or road: the high-hedges route does not apply to highway authorities or councils in their capacity as road managers. Separate rules govern obstructions to the highway. If Thanet DC or Kent Highways has written to you about a hedge overhanging a footpath or road, that is a different process not covered here.
Decision summary
| Your situation | Route | Key figure |
|---|---|---|
| TPO on the tree | Written TPO consent from Thanet DC before any work | £20,000 max fine |
| In the CA, stem 75 mm+ at 1.5 m | Section 211 notice (6-week wait, no fee) | £20,000 max fine |
| In the CA, stem under 75 mm | No notice required for that stem | Check all stems individually |
| Outside CA, no TPO | No council permission needed | Nesting season check still applies |
| Neighbour dispute, hedge over 2 m evergreen | Part 8 complaint to Thanet DC (neighbour pays £350) | 4-16 weeks investigation |
Conservation Area rules for hedges specifically
The full Conservation Area hedge rules guide covers the distinction between trees, hedges and shrubs in more detail, including how the 75 mm threshold plays out for multi-stem hedges such as hawthorn and Griselinia, and what "de minimis" pruning means in practice. If you are working on a large-stemmed native species hedge inside the CA boundary, that guide is the next step.
TPO applications and consultation
The full TPO guide covers how to check for existing orders, what the application covers, and how arboricultural evidence can support or oppose an order. If you have received a new TPO notice from the council (TPOs can be served on trees you did not know were protected), the consultation period in which to object is usually 28 days from the provisional order date.
Not sure which route applies to your situation?
Send your address and a brief description of the work to hello@ramsgatehedges.co.uk or call 07763 100 477. We can confirm whether your property falls inside the Conservation Area, advise on whether any stems are likely to cross the 75 mm threshold, and help you prepare a Section 211 notice or TPO application if needed.
Sources: Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s.211; Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, Part 8; Thanet District Council planning portal (thanet.gov.uk); Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, s.1; RSPB nesting season guidance; RHS tree and hedge legal guidance, rhs.org.uk.