How Many TPO-Protected Trees Are Felled Each Year Because of Subsidence?
It’s a question that often crops up in our work: how many protected trees are actually felled each year because of subsidence?
The short answer — no one really knows. There’s no national dataset that links Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) to subsidence-related decisions. But by drawing on data from insurers, technical groups, and local authority reports, we can build a defensible estimate.
Starting from the ground up
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Subsidence claims per year
In a typical year, around 15,000 domestic subsidence claims are made. During drought years — like 2022 — that number rises sharply to around 23,000. -
How many involve trees?
Most subsidence cases involve vegetation to some degree. Industry estimates put this at 60–70% of all claims. -
How many lead to tree removal?
Tree felling is relatively rare. Local authority data suggests that only 5–15% of vegetation-related claims end in felling — with the majority resolved through pruning, root barriers, or underpinning. -
How many of those trees were protected?
Most trees involved in subsidence cases are publicly owned street trees, which aren’t usually covered by TPOs. To stay conservative, we can assume around 10–20% of felled trees were TPO-protected.
Putting the numbers together
That gives us a working estimate:
Normal year (around 15,000 claims):
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Tree-involved: 9,000–10,500
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Felled (5–15%): 450–1,575
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TPO-protected (10–20%): 45–315
Drought year (around 23,000 claims):
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Tree-involved: 13,800–16,100
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Felled (5–15%): 690–2,415
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TPO-protected (10–20%): 70–485
So across England, somewhere between 50 and 500 TPO-protected trees may be felled each year because of subsidence — fewer in wetter years, more after prolonged dry spells.
Why it matters
Every felling decision under a TPO represents a balancing act — between protecting built structures and preserving urban canopy cover. Without clear national data, we risk underestimating the cumulative impact on biodiversity, carbon storage, and local amenity.
Tree Law continues to advocate for more consistent reporting and transparency in how TPO-related decisions are recorded, especially where subsidence is cited as the cause.
Call to action
If your organisation deals with tree-related subsidence, TPO applications, or risk management decisions, we can help you navigate the complex overlap between law, engineering, and ecology.
Get in touch with Tree Law to discuss how we can support you — from advising on felling permissions to developing policies that protect both buildings and biodiversity.
