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Section 154: Cutting or felling etc. trees etc. that overhang or are a danger to roads or footpaths.

Highways Act 1980 · 1980 c. 66View on legislation.gov.uk

Part IX: Lawful and Unlawful Interference With Highways and Streets

In subsection (1)(a) above, any reference to a district includes a reference to a Welsh county or county borough.

Where it appears to a competent authority for any highway, or for any other road or footpath to which the public has access—

that any hedge, tree or shrub is dead, diseased, damaged or insecurely rooted, and
that by reason of its condition it, or part of it, is likely to cause danger by falling on the highway, road or footpath,

the authority may, by notice either to the owner of the hedge, tree or shrub or to the occupier of the land on which it is situated, require him within 14 days from the date of service of the notice so to cut or fell it as to remove the likelihood of danger.

A person aggrieved by a requirement under subsection (1) or (2) above may appeal to a magistrates' court.

Subject to any order made on appeal, if a person on whom a notice is served under subsection (1) or (2) above fails to comply with it within the period specified in those subsections, the authority who served the notice may carry out the work required by the notice and recover the expenses reasonably incurred by them in so doing from the person in default.

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This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.