Last updated: April 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.
Natural Assets within Exeter
Bursting with culture, history and popular tourist attractions, Exeter is an ancient city in South West England. Due to being located within rural Devon, the City of Exeter is commonly recognised as ‘the countryside city’. Likewise, it also has an uncommon mix of urban and rural features throughout the city, making for an aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly place to live.
Continuing the trend of combining natural assets with new developments, planning projects across Exeter City remain in full flow. However, as it is important to ensure that these developments don’t entirely tarnish the state of biodiversity in the city, Exeter City Council prevent projects that intend to needlessly harm the environment.
Exeter City Council Tree Preservation Orders
As trees and hedges on development sites can act as an obstacle to planning projects, the Exeter City Council clearly outlines the policies in regard to building in areas that house these natural assets. The two common methods that local councils typically protect trees from being unnecessarily relocated or destroyed are through creating conservation areas for certain locations and placing specific trees under tree preservation orders (TPOs).
If a tree is situated within a conservation area or under an existing TPO, the council will need to be contacted before any development work that could impact these trees is carried out. Refusal to go through this process prior to disrupting trees within these criteria is a criminal offence. However, while it may be concerning that a development could inadvertently breach relevant policies, booking a tree survey with a qualified arboriculturist will enable you to avoid any potential problems.
Tree Reports for Development
Starting with a thorough assessment of the entire site, the tree survey itself will primarily consist of the arboriculturist analysing each tree. Based on the value and condition, they will then label each tree with a grading that indicates the appropriate next steps. For instance, they may decide to retain the tree if it is valuable and in good condition. However, if neither of these factors is true, it may be more suitable to move the specific tree elsewhere or destroy it.
The consultant arboriculturist will then compile a report that includes their findings, an accurate drawing of the site and recommendations to ensure the development goes ahead despite the presence of trees. Not only will the tree survey report be made available to the person who arranged the survey, but it would be advisable to bolster the planning permission application by submitting it to the local planning authority alongside the other required documents.
Surveyors in Exeter
Finding a reliable surveyor can be difficult, and it can be even harder if you’re looking in certain areas such as Exeter. Fortunately, however, Arbtech has skilled and qualified tree surveyors across the country, preventing your location from being an obstacle when it comes to planning an assessment.
Booking a tree survey is simple. All you need to do is get in touch and we will take the details of your site and project to provide an accurate quote. If you decide to go ahead, we will then work with you to pick a suitable date and time to visit your site.