Secure Planning Permission with a Professional BS5837 Tree Survey
If you're looking to develop on a site that has trees on or anywhere near the site, then UK planning laws require the developer to undertake an Arboricultural Impact Assessment.
Why Tree Surveys Are Required
All UK planning applications require you to inform the council of any tree presence in or around the site. If the applicant fails to declare the presence of trees either deliberately or by accident, the council tree officer may detect the presence of trees through various methods. This can simply be done by the tree officer having local knowledge or doing a simple search on Google Maps.
The requirement for an Arboricultural Assessment applies to all types of trees, regardless of whether they are protected or unprotected trees. Before you start a new build project, it is very important to carry out an Arboricultural Assessment to ensure that your planning application is not invalidated.
What Is A BS5837 Tree Survey?
The standard has been developed by British Standards to determine the health of trees, their value and how they will potentially be impacted by your proposed development project. The assessment has become crucial for qualifying for a successful planning application.
Key Purpose
BS5837 assessments ensure your development project can proceed while protecting valuable trees and complying with planning requirements.
How Does an Arboricultural Tree Survey Work?
To satisfy the relevant requirements, a qualified tree surveyor will visit the site to collect data related to the trees located on or around the site. The surveyor will record a variety of data and different measurements to produce a report to be submitted to the local council.
What Does a BS5837 Arboricultural Tree Survey Include?
If it turns out that trees are affected by your proposed development, be it a new building, a new extension, outbuildings etc, a qualified tree consultant can work closely with you to ensure that the development can proceed with minimal impact on the trees. So before you embark on your development, it is important that you undertake a BS5837 tree survey for planning in the UK to avoid planning delays and to ensure a smooth development plan. Without this, your project can be subject to potential delays or even an invalidated or rejected planning application.
Our Planning Applications Services - Tree Reports and Surveys
Expert Guidance
If you are a property developer and there are trees on your intended construction site, you will need the help and advice of our professional arboriculturist to ensure that planning permission is granted as speedily as possible. This also applies to property owners wishing to build a house extension in close proximity to trees. We advise all our clients to contact us early on in the application stage to avoid expensive planning delays and costly redesigns.
Tree Protection Duty
Local Planning Authorities have a duty to ensure the protection of trees when giving planning permission for construction projects. The presence of trees with a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) and trees within Conservation Areas will also impact on the feasibility of the design. Planning a development, communicating and submitting your proposal to the relevant planning authority can be complicated - trees are often an obstacle not adequately considered and can be a major obstacle when seeking planning permission from a planning authority.
Our Comprehensive Approach
We have the expertise and experience to help developers and homeowners formulate planning submissions that council officers will understand and have the maximum potential of achieving a successful planning application and conclusion. We work with you every step of the way and start with a feasibility assessment, which in a nutshell is an assessment of what you want to do in relation to what trees are on site and constraints that are likely to affect your proposal.
We understand what councils will require and what they will most likely consider. We understand the success of any planning application will depend on compiling the right information as quickly and professionally as possible. We provide a comprehensive service for individuals or businesses preparing a planning submission to take account of trees growing on the site. We prepare detailed reports and plans that will become working documents before, during and after the development phase.
Why Tree Protection Matters
It is vitally important that tree protection is considered and documented guidance is produced as a means for all parties involved during the development process to refer to. Tree protection is critical if mature trees are to be successfully retained during and after the development phase. Tree retention after development will provide the occupants and local community with beautiful landscape features and environmental benefits for years to come.
Our Planning Applications Services Include
One of the issues to consider is that the application will fail if it results in the demise of trees that are capable of making an important contribution to the look and feel of the area. Conditional Planning Permission may be granted in order to retain the maximum number of trees and to ensure their protection during construction.
Invalidated Planning Applications
Without the correct tree information your application is likely to be invalidated or refused. In the event that Planning Permission is refused, we may be able to help with our Planning Appeals Service.
Planning Appeals Services related to Trees TPO and Conservation Areas
Appeals Support
If your planning application has been refused on tree related issues, or if you have applied to do work on trees in a conservation area, or on trees with Tree Preservation Order and permission has been refused, we can help.
TPO & Conservation
Local Planning Authorities have a duty to ensure the protection of trees when giving planning permission for construction projects. The presence of trees with a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) and trees within Conservation Areas will also impact on the feasibility of the design.
Expert Witness
We are frequently requested as an Expert Witness in legal cases and disputes. With 30 years of experience, we have an impressive client list and over 95% of all our work comes through our delighted customers recommending us to others.
How We Help with Appeals
In the case of property development, we will look at why permission was refused, and give concise and practical advice on what to do to ensure that the planning application is granted on appeal. This may be as simple as providing the correct tree information. In some cases, this may also involve a redesign or tweaking of the construction project to comply with the Local Planning Authorities requirements.
Our professional arboriculturist is on hand to ensure that planning permission is granted as speedily as possible.
Ready to Get Started?
Contact us early in your application stage to avoid expensive planning delays and costly redesigns. Our expert team is ready to help you navigate tree surveys and planning requirements.