Tree Survey for Architects

Tree Surveys for Developers and Planners

When it comes to planning applications involving trees, our services are closely aligned with the RIBA stages (Royal Institute of British Architects). This seamless integration allows us to work effectively with your design team or architect.

Trees are an important factor in the UK planning system and necessitate thorough evaluation during the planning application process. Our services cater to our clients' needs, ensuring a well-informed process backed by extensive experience in both public and private sectors.  We recognize the importance of balancing environmental sustainability with the economic feasibility of development. We take pride in providing commercially viable arboricultural advice that meets planning policy demands, thereby contributing positively to the success of planning and development projects.

The four key phases of tree surveys for planning applications are:

A BS5837 Tree Survey is necessary because Local Planning Authorities are legally obligated to assess the impact of planning applications on trees. The BS5837 standard outlines the process for considering trees in planning, detailing the collection of information on trees to inform the planning process. Rarely is an application validated without this data.

An Arboricultural Impact Report is required by the Local Planning Authority to evaluate how the proposed site design has considered the impact on trees. This report is integral to the planning policy concerning green infrastructure, including trees, and influences the Authority's decision-making. It is a critical component of the design phase, ensuring that any impact on trees is either avoided or minimized, thereby supporting a strong planning case in line with national and local policies to obtain planning consent.

Our team utilizes digital software to gather tree data, which we then convert into various data exchange formats to facilitate collaboration and communication with our clients and other professionals.

Navigating Tree Preservation Orders & Conservation areas?

Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Conservation Areas significant considerations stage of any development. These designations can profoundly impact your, restricting actions that.  Understanding and navigating these restrictions is crucial, a detailed and approach to tree surveys, Urban Tree Management excels in this area, advice and solutions to navigate the TPO and other regulatory hurdles. Our goal is to ensure your project progresses smoothly, without unexpected legal entanglements or delays.

Compensation Tree Planting   

Compensation planting pertains situations where existing trees need to be removed for development purposes, and the local authority mandates the developer to replace them with new trees. Due to the variability in compensation planting policies and requirements from one authority to another our knowledge, expertise, and experience with current systems enable us to accurately calculate the number and size of trees needed meet the authority’s and determine the optimal timing for replacement.

We utilize both Tree Replacement Systems, which calculate the number of replacement trees, and valuation systems such as CAVAT (Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees), which assign a financial value to trees. These systems have a proven track record of achieving equitable settlements where replacement systems have been used to calculate compensation.

Our vast experience in successfully modeling the replacement value of removed trees over time allows to reach fair and practical agreements for mitigation planting. We support this with expert planting advice and design. Our innovative methods for sustainable and practical tree replacement have been developed to align with the objectives of both developers and local authorities.