Tree Protection Bill - Call for Evidence

Overview

The Tree Protection Bill sets out to:

• Amend and strengthen primary legislation to provide enhanced legal protection for Northern Ireland’s oldest and most significant trees and woodlands.
• Reform the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) system to align with practice in England, Scotland, and Wales—closing loopholes, ensuring consistent enforcement across local authorities, and broadening designation criteria to reflect the full environmental, social, and health benefits of trees.
• Ensure legislative protections reflect the modern understanding of the role trees play in climate resilience and public health.
• Protect ancient and long-established woodland by introducing enforceable safeguards against development, recognising these habitats as irreplaceable.

Why your views matter

Under the Assembly’s usual legislative process, the Tree Protection Bill will only be subject to detailed scrutiny by the Committee for Infrastructure if it passes Second Stage.

In anticipation of that, the Committee is inviting views on the Bill’s objectives, proposals, and potential impacts.

Should the Bill proceed to Committee Stage, this evidence will help inform the Committee’s detailed consideration.

Please note, you can choose which parts of the survey you wish to respond to. You do not have to complete the whole survey and can choose which sections or individual pages to complete.

Links to the Bill along with the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum can be found below.

Tree Protection Bill (as introduced)

Explanatory and Financial Memorandum