If you’re lucky enough to have a lovely mature tree in your garden, you might think you can prune it when you fancy, trim it when it looks wonky, or – if you’re feeling dramatic – remove it altogether.

But hold that thought. Because that tree might have more legal protection than you expect. Enter the Tree Preservation Order, or TPO: the quiet but powerful rule that says, “No chainsaws without permission, thank you.” Let’s break it down in a friendly, jargon-free way so you know exactly what a TPO is and how it could affect a property.

So, what is a Tree Preservation Order?

A Tree Preservation Order is a legal designation made by the local planning authority. It protects specific trees, groups of trees, or even whole woodlands from being cut down, pruned, uprooted, or otherwise interfered with, unless you have written consent. It doesn’t matter who owns the tree. Once a TPO is in place, the rules apply to everyone.

Why are trees protected in the first place?

TPOs are used to safeguard trees that bring significant ‘amenity value’ to an area. That might sound a bit peculiar, but it simply means the tree contributes something meaningful: beauty, shape, shade, biodiversity, historical interest, or just being a well‑loved feature of the neighbourhood.

Some protected trees are centuries old. Others are simply very visible, very healthy, or very beloved by locals. Either way, the council takes their protection seriously.

How do you know if a tree has a TPO?

Good question – and one many buyers ask after an issue has cropped up.

You can check by:

  • contacting the local planning authority
  • viewing their online TPO map (common these days)
  • reviewing the Local Land Charges search during conveyancing

If the tree is in a conservation area, slightly different rules apply – but broadly speaking, any work still requires notice.

What you can and can’t do

If a tree is protected:

  • You can’t remove it
  • You can’t prune or lop it
  • You can’t dig or build in a way that harms its roots
  • You can’t damage it “by accident”

For anything more than removing genuinely dead wood or making an emergency safety intervention, you must apply to the council for consent. Applications are free, but they can drag on – in some cases up to eight weeks.

What happens if you get it wrong?

This is where TPOs flex their muscles.

Carrying out work on a protected tree without consent is a criminal offence. Fines can reach into the tens of thousands – and in serious cases, even higher. Courts can also order you to plant a replacement tree, potentially in the exact same spot. If you’ve just removed the tree because it was inconvenient… well, that’s awkward.

Homeowners have also been prosecuted for lopping branches simply to improve a view or gain a bit of sunlight.

Why TPOs matter in conveyancing

For buyers, a protected tree can have implications:

  • It may limit future extensions or hard landscaping
  • It may require ongoing specialist maintenance
  • It may add cost and complexity to garden projects
  • It can affect development potential (hello, frustrated would‑be extension‑builders)

For conveyancers, spotting a TPO early helps manage expectations and avoid nasty surprises when clients want to chop, trim or relocate their garden centrepiece – and while TPOs should appear in the Local Authority Search, OneSearch’s enhanced checks help ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

TPOs aren’t there to make life difficult – they’re there to protect the green features that give neighbourhoods their character. As long as homeowners and buyers understand the rules, they can enjoy their trees and stay on the right side of the law.

If you’ve seen headlines about “twelve new towns”, you might be wondering what exactly the New Towns Act is… and more importantly, whether it has anything to do with your house purchase.

The short answer? Yes… but not in the way people often think.

The New Towns Acts (starting in 1946 and now governed mainly by the New Towns Act 1981) give government the power to designate large areas of land for master‑planned new communities. Think Milton Keynes, Stevenage, or Harlow – places planned from scratch, complete with homes, parks, schools, and jobs.

And with the UK’s current push for new towns – including a New Towns Taskforce and an agenda to begin three sites before 2029 – the legislation is back in the spotlight.

But to understand why the Acts exist at all, we need to take a little time-travel detour back to the late 1800s…

Where It All Began: The Garden City Movement

Long before the government had statutory powers to build new towns, one man planted the conceptual seed: Ebenezer Howard, the father of the Garden City Movement.

In 1898, Howard looked at the choking smog of industrial London and thought: “There must be a better way to live.” His solution was so simple it was radical: combine the best of town life with the best of country life – and avoid the worst of both.

This became the famous ‘Three Magnets‘ diagram:

  • Town = jobs, community, entertainment… plus pollution and overcrowding
  • Country = beauty, nature, clean air… plus fewer opportunities
  • Town‑Country = the perfect hybrid

Howard’s Garden City concept imagined self‑contained towns of around 30,000 people, surrounded by permanent green belts, with homes, industry, farmland, and civic spaces arranged in a walkable, balanced, thoughtful way.

Two real Garden Cities emerged from his vision – Letchworth (1903) and Welwyn (1920) – both near London, both proof that planned communities could be greener, healthier and genuinely pleasant to live in.

Howard wasn’t just designing cities. He was proposing social reform: places where people could thrive physically, socially, culturally, and economically.

And when post‑war Britain needed to rebuild fast, government planners didn’t need to look far for inspiration. They took Howard’s blueprint – and scaled it massively.

Enter the New Towns Act

The New Towns Act 1946 was the government’s way of turning the Garden City dream into national policy. Instead of relying on philanthropic experiments, the Act gave the state real powers to:

1. Designate a “new town”

If the Secretary of State decides an area should be developed as a new town (after consultation), an official designation order is made.

2. Create a Development Corporation

These were specialist, powerful bodies with the ability to:

  • buy land (including compulsory purchase)
  • build roads, homes, parks and utilities
  • plan whole communities
  • act quickly and at scale

3. Register a local land charge

Here’s where this matters to conveyancers: A new town designation creates a Part 7 Local Land Charge. As summarised in the Local Land Charges guide: “New Towns charges relate specifically to the designation of new towns under the New Towns Act 1981… Charges contain financial and infrastructure obligations.”

(New Towns charges are rare today – but absolutely still exist.)

Why are we talking about New Towns again?

Because the housing shortage isn’t exactly shrinking. Recent reports show:

  • Government plans to start work on three new towns within this Parliament
  • A New Towns Taskforce recommending 12 initial locations
  • A growing push for “infrastructure‑first” large‑scale development

This echoes the post‑war urgency that created the first wave of new towns – but with modern challenges like green belt constraints, infrastructure capacity, environmental concerns, and skills shortages layered on top.

The sites for the twelve new towns suggested include: Adlington in Cheshire, South Gloucestershire, Crews Hill in Enfield, North London, Heyford Park in Cherwell, Oxfordshire, Leeds South Bank, Victoria North in Manchester, Marlcombe, East Devon, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Thamesmead in south-east London, and Worcestershire Parkway.

What does this mean for homebuyers and conveyancers?

1. A New Towns Act charge might appear in searches

Most people will never see one – but if a property lies within a designated area, the Local Search may reveal:

  • a Part 7 New Towns charge
  • historic development corporation entries
  • compulsory purchase‑related notations

If you see one, it’s worth pausing for a closer look.

2. It may signal future large‑scale growth

A New Town designation means:

  • new housing
  • new transport links
  • new community infrastructure
  • long‑term development (often decades)

This can be hugely positive – or occasionally disruptive.

3. Buyers often need reassurance

A New Towns charge doesn’t mean your home is about to be bulldozed. It means the area was (or is) part of a planned development programme. With new towns re‑entering national policy, these designations may become more visible in the coming years.

The Garden City Legacy, Modernised

Today’s new towns (if delivered well) aim to combine:

  • sustainable transport
  • biodiversity and green space
  • mixed-use neighbourhoods
  • high‑quality design standards
  • community governance
  • long‑term stewardship

Or, to put it another way: Howard’s Garden City principles… but with full fibre broadband, heat pumps, and a nearby rail station.

It’s a reminder that while the challenges facing Britain have changed, the core idea that inspired the New Towns Acts – building thoughtfully planned places for people to thrive – is still very relevant.

Across the UK, thousands of neighbourhoods, streets, and historic green spaces are protected as Conservation Areas, but what does that actually mean for the people who live there?

Whether you’re buying, renovating, or just curious about your postcode, understanding these designations can help you make confident, informed decisions.

What are conservation areas?

A Conservation Area is a place officially recognised as having special architectural or historic interest. In the UK, there are more than 10,000 of these designated areas, covering everything from historic town centres to Victorian suburbs, model villages, and even former industrial landscapes. They exist to preserve the character of places people value – not just individual buildings, but neighbourhoods, and green spaces.

The goal isn’t to stop development altogether. It’s to make sure any changes respect what makes the area unique.

Why are they designated?

An area gets Conservation Area status when the council decides it has something special worth preserving; the sort of neighbourhood that makes people say, “Ooh, this is nice,” and planners quietly add, “Yes, and we’d quite like it to stay that way.”

Think cobbled streets, sash windows, historic parks, or rows of carefully detailed terraces. It’s the combination of all these elements that gives a Conservation Area its identity.

What it means for property owners

If you live in, or are buying within, a Conservation Area, you’ll find that some works require extra permissions. That might include:

  • Demolishing part or all of a building
  • Changing windows, doors, roofing materials, or cladding
  • Building extensions or outbuildings
  • Removing or pruning trees

None of this is meant to block improvements – it simply ensures changes fit the character of the area. Many homeowners are surprised to learn that even small alterations, like replacing a fence or removing a chimney, can require consent.

And importantly: carrying out certain works without permission can be a criminal offence.

Why accuracy matters in searches

Because Conservation Areas create legal constraints, it’s crucial they’re identified correctly in property searches. In fact, our own data teams regularly uncover cases where a property is incorrectly flagged as within a Conservation Area, or – more dangerously – flagged as outside when it is very much inside.
Examples from internal casework show properties where mapping discrepancies or council errors led to incorrect Conservation Area information being returned, sometimes affecting planning outcomes or buyer decisions.

That’s why cross‑checking multiple sources – including local authority data, detailed mapping, and boundary updates – is essential.

The upside

Research consistently shows that people appreciate living in these protected areas – homes often enjoy greater stability in value, thanks to the careful management of their surroundings. They’re sought after because they retain character, charm, and identity.

If you’re buying or improving a home in a Conservation Area, don’t panic – but do take the time to understand the rules. With the right guidance, it’s entirely possible to make thoughtful changes that respect local character and suit modern living.

UK conveyancing firms and law firms are under ever greater scrutiny to carry out rigorous Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks, and for good reason. According to Europol, 70% of criminal enterprises now use money laundering techniques to hide their ‘ill-gotten’ gains.

In response, the SRA has massively ‘upped the ante’ in the past 12 months, ramping up desk-based AML compliance assessments, resulting in record fines. So, the question is, what can you do to ease this burden on your business while ensuring consistent AML compliance when dealing with international clients? 

Enhanced AML checks for international clients 

One of the main challenges for conveyancers in 2024 is knowing exactly when to carry out enhanced AML checks for international clients and how to do so effectively and efficiently.  

Remember, you must complete EDD AML checks when dealing with a customer who is not physically present when carrying out ID checks (e.g. international clients), a ‘Politically Exposed Person’ (PEP) from a high-risk third country identified by the EU, or presents a higher risk of money laundering. 

What are the challenges of vetting international clients? 

Carrying out AML checks on international clients to the standard required by the SRA and CLC can be especially challenging, because: 

  • Your staff may never meet the client in person 
  • There may be language barriers 
  • Domestic checking processes, services and software may not work for clients in other countries, and 
  • It can be difficult to establish the Ultimate Business Owner (UBO), the Source of Funds (SOF) or if the person is a PEP or on a sanction list in another country. 

Due to these challenges, there is a high risk of wrongly identifying or failing to recognise an individual as a high AML risk.  

How can I ease the burden of international AML checks? 

Using systems and processes designed for a domestic clientele to deal with international clients is a risk to your business. Easing the burden of international AML checks requires ‘fit for purpose’ systems, processes, and training geared specifically to international clients.  

While your staff may be familiar with how to spot AML ‘red flags’ for domestic clients, they must also be trained on how to do this for international clients. Likewise, you must have AML conveyancing processes and workflows for onboarding and the ongoing monitoring of international clients. Remember that not all third-party AML services and software are capable of handling international client AML checks.  

Implementing an automated workflow AML solution that can handle both domestic and international clients is key to reducing the administrative burden and AML risk for your business. 

Introducing OneSearch AML for International clients 

OneSearch International AML with Facial Recognition is a new, easy-to-use technology solution for conveyancers with overseas clients which will easily integrate into your existing systems. OneSearch International AML with Facial Recognition provides: 

  • A combined digital ID verification and real-time facial recognition capable of dealing with clients in other jurisdictions 
  • International PEP and sanction screening using real-time information from over 350 datasets, including domestic and international government websites and public transparency projects.  
  • Adverse media screening 
  • Law enforcement and Special Interest Person (SIP) screening for international clients and 
  • Headshots for PEPs sourced from official international government websites to reduce false positives during the PEP screening process. 

Without fit-for-purpose training, processes, and systems to deal with international clients, it is all too easy to miss money laundering red flags and risks, which can lead to fines and serious reputational harm.

With OneSearch International AML, you can relax knowing that your firm is meeting its AML regulatory requirements, and any AML risks will be picked up early or at any point throughout the transaction.

When carrying out Anti-Money Laundering checks on clients, all regulated industries must identify PEPs and sanctioned individuals during onboarding, to comply with KYC and AML requirements.

In this post, we take a deep dive into what they are, who meets the criteria, and explore best practices for your firm, safeguarding you and your business from any financial or reputational perils.

What is a Politically Exposed Person?

A PEP is an individual who is or has been entrusted within a prominent public institution, making them susceptible to corruption. Under anti-money laundering legislation, if a client is identified as a PEP, enhanced due diligence (EDD) is required.

Who specifically classifies as a Politically Exposed Person?

Overall, the list of PEP individuals includes, but is not limited to, heads of states, heads of governments, ministers, MPs, members of high-level judicial bodies such as high courts, as well as family members and close business associates of all the above.

Based on Money Laundering Regulations and UK Government guidance, PEPs are listed into tiered categories depending on their role. For example, Heads of State and Government would be regarded as Tier 1 while mayors and members of local councils would be Tier 4. Under UK Government guidance the expectation is firms should be identifying Tier 1 & 2 PEPs as a minimum.

My firm has identified a PEP, should we cease working with them?

If your client has been flagged as a PEP, you should apply enhanced due diligence measures to the case. This will differ on a case-by-case basis, but this does not automatically mean you should cease business.

Law society guidance suggests you must:

  • Get senior management approval for the business relationship
  • Take adequate measures to establish the source of wealth and source of funds
  • Closely monitor the business relationship throughout

If you know or suspect a money laundering offence is taking place, you must make a disclosure to your firm’s money laundering reporting officer (MLRO).

What about Sanctions?

In addition to enhanced due diligence, all firms are also required to ensure they are not working with sanctioned individuals.

Sanctions and sanctions lists serve as a critical safeguard against financial crime. Businesses use sanctions checks to prevent themselves from getting involved with sanctioned entities. This way, businesses not only avoid the risk of non-compliance fines but also safeguard their reputation in the process. Conducting both PEP and sanction checks is crucial for businesses to minimize the chances of engaging with high-risk individuals or entities and to maintain a robust due diligence process.

Where I can I find out more?

OneSearch AML empowers you to navigate the complexities of due diligence with ease. Our innovative technology simplifies the onboarding process, saving you valuable time without compromising security.

In the ever-evolving world of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), ongoing monitoring plays a crucial role in mitigating risks and ensuring compliance. This is especially true in the realm of conveyancing, where large sums of money are changing hands.

This coffee-break article aims to shed light on ongoing monitoring in AML for conveyancing within England and Wales.

What is ongoing monitoring in AML for conveyancing?

Ongoing monitoring is the continuous process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating money laundering risks throughout the conveyancing transaction. It involves regular reviews of customer due diligence, monitoring transactions for suspicious activity, and reporting any concerns to the authorities.

How often should ongoing monitoring be done?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how often or how long you need to monitor your customers’ activity. Instead, regulations require ‘ongoing monitoring’ that adapts to each business relationship. This means regularly checking conveyancing transactions (and sometimes, where necessary, the source of funds) to see if they match your understanding of the customer, their business, and their risk level. Basically, the higher the risk, the deeper your ongoing monitoring should be.

We empower you to customize your monitoring for each customer, allowing you to focus on those who pose the highest risk.

When should ongoing monitoring take place?

Ongoing monitoring for AML in UK conveyancing should ideally happen throughout the entire client relationship, not just at the beginning.

Here are some key points to consider:

  • Continual Basis: The Law Society recommends a system of file reviews or reminders to ensure ongoing monitoring is applied
  • High-Risk Clients: All clients should be monitored, but those identified as high-risk require enhanced due diligence and more frequent monitoring
  • Trigger Events: Specific situations can trigger the need for additional CDD checks, which essentially act as a form of ongoing monitoring. (Change of name, inconsistent transactions, reluctance to meet in person)

Why is ongoing monitoring important in conveyancing?

Conveyancing deals are particularly susceptible to money laundering due to the high transaction values and the involvement of various parties. Ongoing monitoring helps to:

  • Identify suspicious activity: By regularly reviewing transactions and customer information, red flags like large cash payments, unusual source of funds, or inconsistencies can be identified and investigated
  • Mitigate risks: Early detection of suspicious activity allows for taking timely action, such as seeking clarification from the customer, refusing the transaction, or reporting to the authorities
  • Demonstrating compliance: Robust ongoing monitoring demonstrates to regulators that firms are taking AML obligations seriously and have measures in place to combat financial crime

How can I implement ongoing monitoring in my conveyancing practice?

Here are some steps you can take:

  • Develop a risk assessment: Identify the ML risks specific to your practice and tailor your monitoring procedures accordingly
  • Train your staff: Ensure your staff is aware of their AML obligations and how to identify and report suspicious activity
  • Use technology: Consider using technology solutions to automate some aspects of monitoring, such as transaction monitoring and sanctions screening
  • Seek professional advice: Consult with an AML expert for guidance on implementing effective monitoring procedures

What are some resources available to help me with ongoing monitoring / AML?