Blackburn and the Surrounding Countryside
An industrial town located in the county of Lancashire, Blackburn is considered semi-rural through its developed centre surrounded by rolling countryside. Best known for producing various textiles, around 105,000 people occupy Blackburn’s 13,700 hectares of land. It also has a total of 14 conservation areas, but following a continued and gradual loosening of restrictions to development, the green belt only contains 40% of the originally designated land remaining.
Around 166 parks and playgrounds are situated across Blackburn, including an urban open space that is classed as one of the largest in the country. The land that Witton Country Park sits on was originally purchased by the local authorities in 1946 and previously acted as the ancestral home of the Fielden family. It has since acquired nature trails, picnic spots, play areas and a full-size athletic running track, and it equates to the same size as all other parks and playing fields in Blackburn combined.
Present Tree Stock Throughout the Town
A recording taken in 2010 claimed that the Blackburn with Darwen area had 2.14 kilo hectares of tree canopy cover, covering 16% of the total land area. Since then, it has lost 163 hectares, meaning a 9% decrease in two decades and Blackburn dropping below the national average for tree canopy cover by 4%. In an effort to reverse the effects of deforestation all over the town, local councils and community groups joined together to stage tree-planting exercises.
So far, the local council has planted 6,700 new native trees and countless other trees have been added to the town’s tree stock through initiatives, such as the one organised by One Voice Blackburn. The dwindling tree numbers are an understandable concern to the local authority, and even with the planting of new trees, certain restrictions are in place to ensure that individual trees aren’t harmed unnecessarily, such as placing such trees under a tree preservation order (TPO) or into a conservation area.
More than any other practice, design, demolition and construction work will be questioned by the local planning authority and applications for planning permission will be scrutinised if the proposed development involves trees. If developers want to realistically bypass issues affecting current or future planning projects and planning applications caused by trees, it will be necessary to organise the required tree survey services conducted by an arboricultural consultancy such as ours.
Professional Tree Reporting
A British standard assessment, the most suitable form of tree services for gauging the physiological and structural condition of trees in relation to planning is what is known as a BS5837 tree survey. Over the course of a planned site visit, a tree condition survey will allow for all trees and relevant natural assets to be analysed and placed under a grade based on condition and value. A comprehensive range of considerations will be accounted for, such as the likelihood of the trees causing direct damage, being a potential risk to health and safety, and any signs of existing structural defects.
All tree consultants that provide tree surveys of this nature will do everything possible to conclude with as many retained trees as possible. Depending on the development proposal, it may not be feasible to keep trees where they are, leading to the need to relocate them elsewhere. Whenever a single tree is dead, dying or dangerous, the arboricultural consultants will be left with no choice but to destroy it and compensate with the planting of a new tree. By doing that, there will be no loss of biodiversity and the same level will be maintained, even if the new tree needs to be planted outside of the site.
With all of the data taken from tree surveys on the proposed development site, the tree surveyors can begin working out what is needed to meet the arboricultural requirements of the local planning authority. A tree report containing parameters for trees on the site, an outline of protected trees, and listed tree problems that the local council need to be aware of should suffice in supporting the planning process. Alternatively, further tree services will be needed, prompting the recommendation of additional tree surveys and tree reports, such as tree safety surveys, a tree protection plan (TPP), a tree constraints plan (TCP), an arboricultural method statement (AMS) or an arboricultural impact assessment (AIA).
Enquire About a Tree Survey Quote
Our arboricultural consultancy covers a broad range of areas, meaning we can provide Lancashire tree surveys in Blackburn, the Ribble Valley area and other tree survey services across the North West. Our specialism is in planning, whether that involves developers, homeowners or mortgage lenders who need the information required from a tree survey report and professional advice before they can progress.
All of our tree surveyors possess the qualifications, training and licensing to lead on tree surveys, as well as sufficient professional indemnity and public liability insurance coverage. From simple sites with minimal constraints to more complex situations involving tree preservation orders (TPOs) and conservation areas, every tree surveyor in our team has seen it all and delivered pragmatic solutions to even the rarest and most complicated of problems.
Book the necessary tree surveys in Blackburn with our arboricultural consultancy by filling out a quote form on our contact page or calling us directly via the number at the top of this page. You will then receive a free quote for a tree survey of each tree present on your site, and if you decide to progress, we can plan a date for a tree surveyor to conduct a BS5837 tree survey. From there, if any additional tree surveys or reports are needed, we can offer tree constraints plans, tree protection plans or more, and using our insight and expertise, we will guide you toward a successful planning application.