Arboricultural Services for Planning Success in Cardiff
The dynamic capital of Wales, Cardiff represents a rich convergence of historical significance and modern ambition. As one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities, it expertly balances extensive regeneration, such as the major housing and commercial projects around Cardiff Bay, with its dedication to green infrastructure. Influenced by the Severn Estuary, the city’s temperate climate encourages the flourishing of diverse flora, particularly within its notable green spaces like Bute Park and the Taff Trail.
The continuous urban growth means that any developer, builder or home-owner undertaking work on a proposed development site must adhere strictly to environmental planning policies. The priority for local authorities in the region is ensuring that new build projects do not compromise the city’s valuable trees, so securing planning application approval requires early and professional engagement with arboricultural standards. Ignoring the status of existing trees can lead to costly delays or, worse, refusal of consent. Our involvement with the use of tree surveys is essential to provide the clarity you need from the very beginning.
Adhering to Local Regulations and Managing Tree Risk
The overarching local authorities for planning in the area, Cardiff Council maintains robust protection policies for trees, viewing them as vital assets for flood mitigation, air quality and urban aesthetics. The council enforces statutory protections through Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), which legally safeguard individual trees or groups, and Conservation Areas, which protect the wider arboricultural environment.
Identifying and dealing with these protections early is where specialist tree consultancy becomes invaluable. It is not always immediately apparent whether a tree is protected, but attempting tree felling or major construction near a protected tree without explicit written consent can result in severe penalties. Over the course of a tree survey, our consultants act as the necessary bridge between your design aspirations and the local council’s planning requirements.
Tree owners carry a legal duty of care to ensure their trees do not pose a danger to the public or property. Our detailed tree inspections go beyond just planning compliance. A tree survey from our team includes risk assessments to evaluate the potential risks associated with structural defects, root decay or instability. The level of due diligence in a tree survey from our team ensures your duty of care is met and protects you from potential hazards. Where necessary, we provide specific management recommendations for tree work and tree care, ensuring the continued health and safety of the surrounding area.
Mandatory BS5837 Process and Reporting Requirements
The backbone of any successful planning submission involving trees is the BS5837:2012 tree survey – a compulsory inspection standard that must be satisfied for planning application validation. Our qualified arboriculturist visits the proposed development site to conduct a detailed tree assessment, cataloguing every tree by species, age, physiological condition and amenity value before assigning a retention category (A, B, C, or U).
Findings from a BS5837 tree survey are meticulously compiled into comprehensive tree reports. The full report documents from a tree survey contain all the technical drawings, data and conclusions required by the local planning department. Key deliverables in a tree survey report include a Tree Constraints Plan (TCP) to accurately map trees, define the root protection areas (RPA) and confirm the limit of tree canopy cover, an Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) to see the impact of the proposed design on all the retained trees, and an Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) to describe how construction activities will be carried out.
Whenever we carry out a tree survey, we always strive for the retention of high-value trees, making tree surgery or remedial tree work the selection of potentially preferred options over removal. Only trees deemed unsafe or having negligible value after a tree survey are recommended for removal, and this is clearly justified within the documentation and report created after all tree inspections have been completed.
Partnering with Our Team for a Full Range of Arboricultural Support
We provide the full range of arboricultural services needed to progress your development project efficiently across Cardiff and South Wales. By choosing our firm for tree survey services, you secure an expert, friendly team of full-time arobriculturists who bring a deep understanding of both practical arboriculture and complex planning policy, helped by past roles operating as experienced arborists and tree surgeons.
Our professionals are committed to delivering cost-effective solutions by identifying and resolving tree-related conflicts early in the design stage. In every tree survey we conduct, we offer site-specific advice that directly addresses the unique challenges of your development, whether you are dealing with large tree populations in the suburbs or isolated large trees in a dense urban environment.
We successfully work with a wide range of individuals, from private home-owners and developers to large commercial and domestic clients. If you require a specialist BS5837 tree survey, risk assessment or any other element of tree protection documentation, we are ready to assist. Contact us today for a free quote to ensure your project starts correctly, giving you the best chance of securing a successful outcome from your local planning authority.
