Renfrewshire Council

Our tree policy

Trees and woodlands contribute greatly to amenity and the quality of place. They benefit biodiversity and have a pivotal role in mitigating the effects of the climate crisis. Trees and woodlands make Renfrewshire a healthier, more attractive place to live and have a vital role to play in the setting, appearance and quality of Renfrewshire's environment.

The aim is to protect and maintain existing trees across Renfrewshire as well as outline the importance of active management of existing trees along with ensuring the appropriate provision for the planting and preservation of trees on new development sites.

Our Planning our Development Tree Policy [27KB] provides advice on the following areas:

• Works to Council owned trees
• Protected trees in conservation areas and trees covered by tree preservation orders
• High hedges
• Council powers in relation to privately owned trees
• Householders common law rights for trees
• Trees overhanging roads and footways
• Trees in gardens of Council houses
• Trees affected by development sites.

Tree preservation orders

A planning authority may make a tree preservation order if it appears to them to be:

• Required in the interests of amenity; and/or
• that a tree, group of trees or woodlands are of significance to the overall area.

If you would like to request a tree / trees to be considered for a tree preservation order please complete the form which can be found on the 'Related Documents' column on the right hand side of this webpage and please submit the completed form to dc@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

If you want to carry out work on any tree, or trees, covered by TPO you must make a TPO application to the council. 

Renfrewshire Council as the Planning Authority hereby gives notice under paragraph 4(1)(b) of the Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation Order and Trees in Conservation Areas)(Scotland) Regulations 2010 that it has, in terms of section 160 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 made the following Tree Preservation Orders affecting the trees therein specified.

• Sandieland Wood, Inchinnan, Tree Preservation Order (No1) 2022
• Erskine Hotel Wood, Erskine, Tree Preservation Order (No2) 2022

1) The planning authority considers it is expedient in the interests of amenity to make that Order because the woodland is in a good/fair condition and is considered a prominent landscape feature and has a high proportion of very old trees.

2) A copy of the Order and the relevant map can be examined on the 'Related Document' column on the right hand side of this webpage.

3) Any person who wishes to make representation must do so in writing, stating the grounds for making their representation and specifying the particular trees, groups of trees, or woodlands to which their representation relates. 

All representations should be sent by 11 August 2022 to dc@renfrewshire.gov.uk or by post to:

Development Standards
Chief Executive's Service
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street, Paisley
PA1 1WB

The planning authority shall, before deciding whether to confirm the Order, take into consideration any representations made.

Trees in conservation areas

Conservation Areas are places considered to be of architectural or historical interest. It is the character and/or appearance of these areas which is desirable to preserve and where possible enhance.

Trees in conservation areas are protected and subject to TPO controls.

There are eight conservation areas in Renfrewshire and information on these is on theListed buildings and Conservation Areas page

If you want to carry out work on a tree in a conservation area, please email dc@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

It is an offence to carry out the work to trees in conservation areas without the Council's consent.

High hedges

The High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013 came into force on 1 April, 2014. 

The purpose of the legislation is to consider issues in relation to high hedges which interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of domestic property and where the issue has not been able to be resolved amicably between neighbours.

The legislation gives home owners and occupiers a right to apply for a high hedge notice and gives the Council the authority to make and enforce decisions in relation to high hedges.

You can find national guidance on the Scottish Government website.

A High Hedges Application form is available from the ePlanning Scotland website. 

After receipt of your proposal and after verification against the requirements of the legislation that the application is competent, we will advise you of the appropriate fee required for assessing the High Hedge application.

Trees and development

In considering proposals for new development Renfrewshire Council will make appropriate provision for the planting and preservation of trees.

Planning applications must be accompanied by sufficient information to allow the Council to accurately assess the trees affected by the proposals. The amount and type of information will vary on the type of application and should be discussed with the Council at as early a stage as possible. See our  Planning our Development Tree Policy [27KB] .