Services
We offer a comprehensive range of services to meet your requirements. From individual trees in private gardens to multi-site surveys covering large tree stocks, we can undertake inspections and surveys of any scale.
Our surveys can be logged on a specialist tree database, giving you mapping, tree details and an updatable record and inspection history for your trees.
We provide reports in a number of formats, from detailed investigation of individual trees to comprehensive assessments of tree stocks. We also provide reports to accompany tree preservation order applications and conservation area notifications.
If you’re considering a planning application that could affect trees, we can also carry out the appropriate surveys to satisfy the planning authorities.
All our work is based on more than two decades of experience and is covered by £5million Professional Indemnity insurance.
Tree safety inspections/
condition surveys
A large part of our work involves surveying trees to check their condition.
This is important for any homeowner or landlord as making sure your tree is in a good, safe condition is a vital part of looking after your property.
Our surveys and inspections can be tailored to your needs, from basic safety inspections to condition assessments with long-term tree management plans.
We are qualified and experienced in this field, holding the main, industry recognised certification for tree safety inspections and condition surveys.
Please contact us to discuss your survey requirements.
Commercial tree inspections
and surveys
We have extensive experience of carrying out surveys and managing large scale tree assets and will be able to provide appropriate tree management advice for:
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school or college sites,
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strategic road networks (both for County highway authorities and on the strategic road network for National Highways),
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hospitals, and
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factories/warehouses and estates.
Our experience in end-to end tree management allows us to build ground-up systems for your trees. This includes risk mapping/ zoning, asset appraisal, safety/condition surveying, tree work recommendations /schedules, tree work contract management and restocking/replanting.
We use the OTISS GIS database to log tree data, making our inspections efficient and accurate. This system can be tailored to meet the needs of the tree stock/asset, to ensure you get the relevant information.
The extensive range of outputs from this system mean we can provide pro-active maintenance and management advice and whole asset condition summaries, offering great opportunities for forecasting, forward planning and budget management.
Our services will meet your tree needs to ensure the benefits provided by your trees continue for many years.
Development and Planning Surveys
If there are trees that could be affected by a home extension or the development of a new build estate, a survey will be needed by the Local Planning Authority (LPA).
Even where planning permission isn’t required, the best course of action is to ensure that trees aren’t impacted.
We can provide tree surveys in accordance with British Standard 5837 (2012)-Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction recommendations. This is required by LPAs and allows your project to progress.
We have many years’ experience of the planning system, both as Tree Officers and consultants. We can provide all the tree information needed for your project/development, including:
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An initial condition survey. This quantifies your trees, giving a clear picture of their condition, position, age/species etc. and their contribution to the development in terms of habitat, amenity and wildlife values.
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Arboricultural implications assessment. Through working with designers and architects, we can establish what the implications of a scheme are, both for the trees and for the development. This can be a flexible and iterative process that allows designs to be amended so conflicts can be designed out and the building and trees can exist in harmony.
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Arboricultural method statement. Once the design is complete, and it is clear which trees are being retained, removed or require pruning, an arb method statement is produced. This defines what operations are needed and when. Importantly, it also informs the tree protection plan.
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Tree protection plan. This is vital to ensuring all retained trees are kept in a safe and undamaged condition throughout the construction phase of the development. This not only defines what measures are required for tree protection but also demonstrates to the LPA that trees, particularly those with tree preservation orders or similar will not be damaged.
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Watching briefs. LPAs often require that construction works near trees are monitored to ensure the safety of retained trees. This involves making sure tree protection measures/methods are adhered to by contractors.
Advice and Applications for protected trees and tree law
A common misconception is that once a tree is protected, no work can be done to it. While it often isn’t straight forward, it is possible to apply for permission to work on protected trees.
We offer advice and guidance on working on protected trees. This can be as simple as recommending what work needs to be done, all the way through to creating and submitting the applications.
We’ll always try to achieve the desired outcome. In certain cases, it may be that we feel an application may not be successful. Sometimes, the LPA may not grant permission for works. In such cases we will offer advice as to what we feel would be acceptable so we can work towards the best solution possible.
This can include providing technical reports and site visits to meet with a Tree Officer. We can even find professional tree work contractors best suited to any given job.
We have extensive experience of both consulting in this area but have also spent many years in Tree Officer roles. This gives us a great understanding of the legislation and decision making processes, which places us perfectly to help with your protected trees.
General advice on trees, tree work, choosing contractors and getting the best from your trees
There are hundreds of TV programmes about gardening, many of which will tell you about planting trees in your garden.
Some of these even tell you about pruning them for fruit or to make trees look nice.
To the best of our knowledge, there aren’t any programmes which let you know how to look after your trees once they’ve been planted, checking they’re safe and even dealing with concerns from neighbours!
We know that when it comes to trees, getting good advice on the best course of action may save time and money in the future.
Our aim is to provide you with the best advice to allow you to make the best decisions for your trees.
We can help you avoid ongoing maintenance issues, offer short or long-term management plans and even help you avoid unprofessional workers.
