Last updated: November 2024
Author: Rob Lambert
Editor at Arbtech, Rob is a content specialist who manages our ecology and arboriculture services copy to ensure it is accurate, up to date, and insightful for current and future clients.
Countryside Around Bath
Famously named after the Roman Baths in the city centre, Bath is a part of South West England bursting with history and culture. It is also the largest city in Somerset County and acts as a popular tourist location, attracting an estimated 13.2 million visitors every year.
A primarily urban area compared to the rest of Somerset, the City of Bath has a multitude of rural sites and sits in the middle of a vast selection of countryside locations. In the city and nearby sections of Somerset, just short of a quarter of residents live in rural areas, and development projects continue to occur providing natural assets aren’t entirely decimated as collateral damage. To ensure that this does not happen and remains within the conservation and preservation policies of the local council, the best course of action would be to refer to an arboriculturist for a tree survey.
Policies for Protecting Trees
Bath is under the jurisdiction of Bath and North East Somerset Council, and as a result, anyone carrying out a development project in these areas must operate within the council’s policies. In terms of trees and hedges, Bath and North East Somerset Council has a dedicated section on the rules around trees and woodlands.
Within these rules is a section on trees in relation to planning projects, which it states that permission from the council is needed before any developments on conservation areas or trees under tree preservation orders (TPOs) are conducted. Not only that but these rules cannot be avoided, particularly as it would be classed as a criminal offence and even in minor cases would likely prompt a significant fine.
BS5837 Tree Survey and Report
During a tree survey, a qualified arboriculturist will grade each tree on the site based on their current condition and overall value. The results of this assessment will then determine the fate of each tree between keeping them, moving them or destroying them. It will be the arboricultural consultant’s desire to keep as many as possible, but if they aren’t valuable, are in poor condition, or if they will be impacted by the development project, it will be necessary to find alternative solutions.
Following completion of the survey, the arboriculturist will assemble a report that explains their findings and suggested next steps, as well as a drawing that outlines the site and where each tree is located. Using this report, the application for planning permission can be significantly strengthened through indicating a realistic plan of action to the local planning authority.
Book a Tree Survey Today
With our arboricultural consultants located across the country, we are ready to carry out tree surveys in your area at the soonest possible opportunity. If you’re based in Bath, the surrounding areas or any other part of England, fill out the form on this page, call us or visit our helpful ‘Contact Us‘ page for more information about booking a tree survey.
Once you’ve got in touch, one of our team will be able to discuss the process with you in further detail and give you a free quote based on your project and site. We can then arrange a suitable time to visit your site, conduct a tree survey and help you to make the next step in the process of completing your development.