Arboriculture
Core Arboricultural Services
To inform your planning application or development where trees, woodland, or hedgerows, are on or adjacent to your site.
Trees, woodland, and hedgerows can be a material consideration in a planning application and may be subject to additional protection under national and local planning policy. We carry out professional tree surveys, in-line with the nationally recognised British Standard BS5837:2012, which will identify important factors such as root protection areas, the arboricultural value, canopy spread, and condition of your trees. Initial findings from this survey are produced as a clear and simple to understand Tree Constraints Plan, with an accompanying Tree Survey Schedule, suitable to inform your development design. We can also produce a range of arboricultural reports to suit your application’s needs.
Please note: A measured topographical plan for your site will be required to undertake detailed tree surveys (in-line with the specifications of BS5837:2012), supplied in DWG format. This ensures high quality data is recorded during our survey and accurate measurements can take place for the development design stage. Please get in touch if you require recommendations for topographical survey providers.
BS5837 Tree Survey, with Tree Survey Schedule (TSS) and Tree Constraints Plan (TCP): Typically to inform development design and construction. Topographical survey required.
Arboricultural Feasibility Survey, with Opportunities and Constraints Plan: A high-level appraisal of the site’s tree and hedgerow stock, to demonstrate the potential for future development or inform site promotion. No topographical survey required.
Desk Study: To comprise a background check of available mapping, or contact the local authority tree officer, for records of any Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), Conservation Areas, Ancient Woodland, or local planning policies relevant to trees.
Preliminary Arboricultural Impact Assessment (pAIA): Report and plans to be submitted for an outline planning application. BS5837 Tree Survey and proposed site layout in PDF or DWG format required.
Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA): Report and plans to be submitted for a full planning application. BS5837 Tree Survey and proposed site layout in DWG format required.
Typically required to discharge a condition of planning consent, where construction occurs within Root Protection Areas or could otherwise detrimentally affect retained trees, woodland, or hedgerows.
Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) is typically requested by the local authority tree officer as a condition of planning consent. We can produce an AMS for your site, to set out the mitigation measures required during construction, which demonstrates how retained trees will be safeguarded during site preparation and construction stages of your development.
Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) and Tree Protection Plan (TPP): Suitable to discharge a condition of planning consent. Requires a Tree Constraints Plan and proposed site layout in DWG format.
Monitoring and supervision of works by an appointed arborist during construction, typically required by the Local Planning Authority, following planning consent.
We can provide an appointed arborist to supervise work during the site clearance and construction phases of development. The scope of works will be bespoke to your site and situation, but may include supervision of contractors undertaking sensitive excavation within Root Protection Areas (using an air-spade or other hand tools), overseeing investigative digging to determine the extent of tree roots, undertaking tree protection fence checks, tagging trees for felling, supervising pruning and other remedial tree work, or providing on-the-ground advice during installation of ground protection systems.
Bespoke: Onsite Arboricultural Clerk of Works or Watching Brief.
Provide a rapid risk assessment of trees on your property or land, with a report that will identify any reasonably foreseeable risks and an auditable schedule to manage those risks.
Trees are an important natural resource which provide many benefits to us and our environment, as well as helping to combat climate change. The overall risk posed to people by trees is relatively low, however there is a Duty of Care under Common Law for anyone who has trees on their property. Reasonable care is required, depending on the size of your tree resource – whether this may be a single tree in your back garden, to an entire assemblage of trees and woodland in a park.
We can undertake Basic Tree Inspection Surveys and a Tree Hazard Assessment (THA) for you, to identify any reasonably foreseeable defects, symptoms of tree diseases, fungi, or pathogens, suitable to discharge this duty of care.
Basic Tree Inspection Survey: To inspect trees on your property. Data provided in a range of formats, suitable to be integrated into database management. Topographical plan in DWG is beneficial, but not required.
Tree Hazard Assessment (THA): Report setting out the findings of a Tree Inspection Survey, with an illustrative map of survey zones, benefit versus risk analysis, and auditable schedule of recommended ongoing monitoring.
Specialist Arboricultural Services
To provide landowners or estates with a structured way to organise the sustainable management of their woodland and parkland trees, in-line with the UK Forestry Standards, and to maximise their biodiversity value for future generations.
We can produce a Woodland Management Plan (WMP) or provide arboricultural inputs into a wider landscape-scale Parkland Management Plan (PMP). These inputs are suitable to support your application for grant schemes, such as a Countryside Stewardship Feasibility Study, or to inform a felling licence for up to 10 years of sustainable tree felling.
Woodland / Parkland Tree Survey: Utilising GPS and aerial / OS mapping to record tree and woodland resources within a landholding or property. Data provided in a range of formats, suitable to be integrated into database management.
Management Plan: Report to inform a grant scheme, demonstrate sustainable forest management and monitoring, or provide a plan of operations for owners and managers of woodland / parkland trees.
A survey and assessment to identify veteran, ancient, and historic trees or woodland, with the aim to improve the condition of this critically important habitat.
Veteran and Ancient Trees or Woodland take hundreds of years to establish and are subject to additional protection under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), making them a material consideration at planning decisions. We can undertake surveys which range from an assessment of an individual tree, to determine whether it falls within the veteran or ancient categories, all the way up to inventories of veteran trees or ancient woodlands as part of a wider landscape management plan.
Veteran Tree Assessment (VTA): To identify veteran, ancient, or historic trees and woodland. Prescription of targeted veteran tree works provided if required. Data provided in a range of formats, suitable to be integrated into database management.
To help inform tree owners of their responsibilities and options regarding the maintenance and management of trees subject to a TPO, or within a Conservation Area.
Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is made by a local planning authority in England, to protect specific trees, groups of trees, or woodland in the interests of amenity. A TPO prohibits the cutting down, topping, lopping, uprooting, or other wilful damage and destruction of such trees without the local planning authority’s written consent. We can provide bespoke arboricultural advice to help inform your responsibilities and options relating to TPOs, including providing reasonable comments or objections to a newly made TPO, and submitting an application to carry out management work on trees protected by a TPO.
Bespoke: Advice relating to Tree Preservation Orders and Conservation Areas.
To provide advice relating to the felling of trees on your property and determine whether you will need to apply for a felling licence to allow you to fell trees or woodland legally.
Tree felling is a legally controlled activity in the UK, which normally requires permission from the Forestry Commission, outside of certain exceptions. Felling trees without a licence may constitute a breach of the Forestry Act of 1967 and the EIA Forestry Regulations of 1998. We can provide arboricultural advice to help you understand your legal obligations relating to tree felling, whether this is removing individual trees on a property or long-term woodland management.
Bespoke: Advice relating to Tree Felling Licences.
The Capital Asset Valuation of Amenity Trees (CAVAT) system is a nationally recognised methodology for assigning monetary figures to the amenity value of trees in public or open spaces.
The CAVAT system is often used where trees are removed or damaged and a claim for compensation from the local planning authority or other legal body is required. It can also be used strategically to determine the asset value of trees or urban forest resources in the public realm, either for a planning application or to inform ongoing management and resource allocation. We can undertake an assessment using the CAVAT tool to provide a monetary value for your trees, where this has been requested by a tree officer or other statutory body.
CAVAT Tree Survey: To collect the necessary survey data and photographs of affected trees.
CAVAT Report: Setting out the methodology and capital value of affected trees using the valuation matrix.
For more information about our aboricultural services please get in touch