Tree Surveys in Torquay: Next Steps in Your Project

Rural Parts of Torquay

A seaside town in South West England, Torquay is a popular tourist attraction in Devon, welcoming an estimated 5.25 million visitors every year. Despite the focus on the coast and nearby points of interest, the town of Torquay has rural offerings such as Babbacombe, Cockington Country Park and Tessier Gardens.

Torquay has a multitude of unused areas that were previously occupied as tourist attractions, leading to the local council developing a Neighbourhood Plan, set for completion by the year 2030. The local council want to preserve any remaining greenfield areas and utilise abandoned plots, so by redeveloping brownfield sites, biodiversity in the town isn’t entirely eliminated. As a result of this intention to preserve any and all remaining green areas in Torquay, building on undeveloped land can be tricky, especially when trees are involved.

However, while Torbay Council may be reluctant to accept planning applications on plots of land that house trees, you should have all you need to gain the necessary permissions following a tree survey on the site.

Trees Protected by Torbay Council

Brixham, Paignton and Torquay fall within the jurisdiction of Torbay Council. For any developer looking to stage a project in any section of Torbay, the primary obstacle is likely to be any trees under an existing tree preservation order (TPO). Within this policy, the developer would need direct consent from the council before disrupting a tree under a TPO.

Arboricultural Assessments and Reports

In any BS5837 tree survey, the arboricultural surveyor will follow the same process to carry out the assessment. Starting with a visit to the site, they will analyse every tree present, giving each of them a grading based on their condition and value to the land. If they are likely to obstruct the development, they will offer recommendations for altering the project to avoid disrupting the trees. However, if this is not possible, they will suggest that the tree in question be removed and relocated or destroyed.

Recommendations from the assessment will be detailed in a tree survey report. Including a CAD drawing of the site and all of the necessary mitigation measures, the report will – in essence – act as an extensive set of instructions to enable the local planning authority to accept the application for planning permission.

Plan a BS5837 Survey

Arranging a quick and efficient tree survey will prevent unnecessary delays in the planning process. With hundreds of five-star reviews, Arbtech ticks all of these boxes and is a trusted name when it comes to arboricultural and ecological surveys in Torquay and the rest of the UK.

For a free quote, get in touch via our website or over the phone and one of our team will be able to talk you through the process and arrange a suitable date to visit your site. A professional, qualified arboricultural consultant can then carry out the necessary assessment to push your project through planning.