The Hidden Obstacle to Your Planning Consent
It might be that you’ve secured planning permission and you’re ready to break ground on your development project, but the local planning authority has surprised you with strict requirements to ensure that existing trees aren’t damaged during building work.
If your development site contains retained trees, you may be handed a stop notice or face enforcement action if a single branch is snapped or a root is crushed. To avoid any issues with the local authority, you will need to prove that all of your planned works are being carried out in a responsible way.
With arboricultural supervision and site monitoring, you can add an essential link between your construction schedule and legal compliance.
What is Arboricultural Supervision?
In short, it is the process of having qualified arboriculturists oversee any construction activities that could impact the health of trees. While tree surveys identify what you have and an arboricultural impact assessment (AIA) predicts the risks, for example, supervision is the ‘boots on the ground’ phase that ensures your proposed development doesn’t fall foul of the law.
On certain development projects, you need more than traditional roles. With supervision and monitoring for issues related to trees, the expert in charge is often known as an arboricultural clerk of works (ACoW). A qualified ACoW is a specialist who acts in an advisory and reporting role, ensuring that the protection measures detailed in your arboricultural method statement (AMS) are correctly implemented.
Why do Developers Need Supervision and Monitoring?
In most planning conditions, it is explicitly stated that a development site must be monitored to ensure that specific aims are met. It is especially critical if your site is subject to a tree preservation order (TPO) or sits within a conservation area. More than anything, the primary goal is to protect root protection areas (RPAs).
Soil compaction from heavy machinery or accidental chemical spills can kill a tree years after the builders have left. But by performing regular site audits, we can provide the documented evidence that the local tree officer needs to discharge your conditions.
Critical Stages of Supervision
Not every project requires a full-time ACoW, but complex operations usually trigger the need for our ACoW service during the construction phase.
Examples of circumstances where supervision or monitoring could be needed include:
Pre-Commencement Meetings
Conducting a ‘toolbox talk’ with your groundworks teams to ensure everyone understands the tree-related matters on-site.
Tree Protection Measures
Formally signing off on the installation of fencing and ground protection before any plant machinery arrives.
Excavation and Pile Installation
Offering oversight of any digging or specialist foundation work occurring inside an RPA.
Tree Work
Ensuring any pruning or necessary removals are done to industry standards (BS3998).
Planting
Supervising the installation of new trees to ensure they survive and thrive on a long-term basis.
The Value of an Independent Reporting Role
Our intention is to solve tree-related challenges before they become expensive delays, where we act as a transitional role between the design team and the contractor.
After every visit, the arboriculturist instructed to attend your site will provide a formal report that satisfies all conditions of your local council.
Whether you are managing small residential builds or large commercial developments, having a professional oversee tree management prevents the friction that usually occurs when construction meets ecology.
Choosing Arbtech for Arboricultural Services
Instead of just pointing out problems, we can produce arboricultural solutions to keep your planning project moving forward.
From the execution of a BS5837 tree survey to the creation of an arboricultural method statement (AMS), and from staging toolbox talks to offering protection measures for retained trees, Arbtech can stay by your side the whole time.
With a proven track record across thousands of sites nationwide, we understand the balance between development goals and environmental protection.
A development site’s trees can raise lots of concerns for a local authority, but with the help of our team, the recommended solutions can be seamless.
Reach Out for a Bespoke Quote
Avoid a tree-related planning condition stalling the progress of your development plans by speaking to our experts and arranging the necessary services.
With a plan to supervise or a schedule to monitor, we can guarantee that your development site remains fully compliant, giving you total peace of mind for your planning consents.
If you want a free quote for conducting services on your site or even advice on knowing what exactly you need, our team would be happy to help. Email us, call us or fill out a contact form, and let us lead the way.
