Surrey’s Arboricultural Assets
Known as one of the country’s most rural counties, Surrey in South East England is said to have the highest concentration of trees in the UK. Such a statistic is helped by the large number of gardens throughout the county, and figures are only likely to continue to grow, as Surrey County Council intends on planting an additional 1.2 million trees by the year 2030.
Currently, over a fifth of the county is covered by trees, more specifically applying to 24% of the land area. 11 non-metropolitan areas make up the county of Surrey, including Banstead, Elmbridge, Epsom, Ewell, Guildford, Mole Valley, Reigate, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Waverley and Woking, as reflected in the various authorities.
With such an abundance of trees all over Surrey, developers could bump into problems caused by them, particularly if they are protected. Organising a tree survey with one of our team and receiving a corresponding tree report, however, will enable you to bypass any otherwise detrimental issues and make it possible to submit a viable application for planning permission.
Current Protective Measures
Due to the multitude of built-up areas throughout Surrey, a number of local councils are active. All of them are given the legal duty of monitoring any development projects that could open up potential risks to present trees and moderating existing protections over trees that are deemed to be valuable, rare, old or in any other way worth retaining by all means necessary.
More often than not, a tree will be protected by placing it in a tree conservation area or applying a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) to it. The discernable difference between the two is that conservation areas will cover all trees within the designated space whereas Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) will only cover the individual trees that have been granted a TPO specifically.
Nearby Authorities
- Elmbridge Borough Council
- Epson and Ewell Borough Council
- Guildford Borough Council
- Mole Valley District Council
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
- Runnymede Borough Council
- Surrey County Council
- Surrey Heath Borough Council
- Tandridge District Council
- Waverley Borough Council
- Woking Borough Council
BS5837 Tree Inspections
At a time that suits your development plans, an arboricultural consultant will visit your site to undertake a full tree survey known as a BS5837. A common initial assessment in the process, a BS5837 tree survey involves a ground-level and climbing inspection of the number of trees on the site and any trees nearby that could influence the specific needs of the planning project. Under a grading system, the arboricultural surveyor will accurately assess all trees, make informed decisions, and take the appropriate action.
Criteria taken into consideration include value, age, condition and the potential risk the tree could have on buildings or individuals. Possible outcomes for each tree range from retaining them on the site, relocating them elsewhere inside or outside the site or destroying them, and compensating for any losses with the planting of new trees. Ideally, as many high-quality trees as possible will be retained, but if any trees pose potential hazards, conflict with the development or offer no value, removing them will be necessary.
Straight after the tree inspection, an arboricultural report will be put together by the professional tree surveyors in charge of managing the assessment process. The tree report will feature any potential impact between the development and nearby trees, health and safety concerns, a Tree Constraints Plan (TCP), and photographic evidence of the site. Most importantly, the tree reports can then be passed on to the local planning authority, with sufficient evidence of tree care to support the planning application.
Contact Our Team for a Free Quote
Generally speaking, several factors are part of the tree survey cost, namely the size and scale of the renovation or construction projects we’re working on. Our team offers a cost-effective service, and if you need any further tree works to boost your application for planning permission or appease the local authority, we are also qualified to provide a tree condition survey, Tree Protection Plan (TPP), Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA), Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) or a mortgage tree report that will be recognised by mortgage lenders during a mortgage application.
Over many years of carrying out risk assessments to assist tree conservation and planning applications, we have formed lasting relationships with clients. If you require a tree inspection on your site, get in touch with us today by moving across to our contact page, calling us or emailing us. We can then send a free quote and instruct a professional tree consultant to provide tree surveys on your development site, complete the necessary tree inspections, and assemble your report for submission to the local authority.