| This page gives advice on how best to go about development when trees
and landscape are a consideration -and of course they always should be.
If there are trees there, they need considering, and if there are not, it's
the ideal opportunity to plant some! |
rees are good for our health, and the health of the planet.
They can slow down wind and reduce heating bills; give shade and reduce summer
electricity bills; absorb pollution; stabilise sloping sites; muffle noise.
Trees on site may also provide sustainable crops of timber, other craft materials,
fuel, and food. Trees can give shelter and food for other wildlife, especially
if they form "green corridors" connecting the site to other trees
and woods. Trees are beautiful and will give pleasure to the people who will
live and work on the site, and to the people around. They may help to sell the
development.
But you should not necessarily keep all existing trees. Trees
grow, and you need to think ahead to avoid direct and indirect damage to new
buildings. Some trees may be unsafe, and to make the site suitable for building
you may need to remove them or have tree surgery done to make them safe. (If
there are existing buildings on or next to the site, obtain advice on the risk
of damage from heave before you remove any trees.) If potentially hazardous
trees are left on site, purchasers might be able to claim for damage or for
necessary tree surgery.
Building works can easily damage trees, especially the roots,
and trees may then die back and become unsafe. You need to know before even
designing the site which trees to keep and how to protect them, and consider
where new planting would be appropriate and would not pose a potential future
risk to people or buildings.
This page is intended as a basic outline of the process you
should follow to choose which existing trees to keep, plan new tree planting,
and to avoid breaching planning conditions. It is based mainly on guidance in
DoE Circular 36/78, DoE guidance on Tree
Preservation Orders
, and BS 5837 (see below for details).
Contact the local planning authority for an informal discussion
if you want advice on the scope of the information you will need to provide
before submitting your application. Relevant sections may include Development
Control, Building Control, and Countryside.
If there are trees on or next to your site, you should
ideally submit a tree survey as part of your planning application. This will
include the following work:
• Plot each tree trunk to within 1m and its existing
ground level to within 0.1 m.
• Survey the trees, their condition, their landscape potential, and necessary
surgery.
• Use tree survey to help decide site layout, tree retention, and new
planting.
You are advised to employ a level surveyor, tree consultant and landscape architect
to ensure good quality survey and design.
Submit the tree survey as a plan to an appropriate scale
(usually 1:200 or 1:500) showing:
• Individually numbered trees and levels (trees
to be removed as dotted lines; trees to be retained as solid lines).
• Position of protective fencing.
• Schedule of species, landscape value, diameter at breast height (dbh)
which is 1.3m, crown spread, height, health, structural soundness, proposed
tree surgery, and reason(s) for any removals.
Submit landscape proposals as a plan to an appropriate
scale (usually 1:100 or 1:200) showing:
• Existing and proposed levels (with sections as
necessary).
• Positions and depths of buildings and foundations, paved surfaces, drainage,
and services (water, gas, electricity, telecommunications).
• Trees to be retained, numbered as on the tree survey, and position(s)
of protective fencing.
• New planting.
If your application is acceptable, you will probably be
given planning permission subject to certain conditions. These will include
conditions to retain and protect trees which the local planning authority consider
are worth retaining. Trees may also be protected by Tree
Preservation Orders.
Employ a competent tree contractor to carry out tree work
as detailed in the planning application:
• Remove any trees as necessary.
• Tree surgery work as necessary (for example, to make trees safe, or
improve their shape, or open up views) to trees to be retained.
Put up protective fencing around trees as detailed on the
tree survey and landscape plan. This is to ensure that trees and especially
tree roots are not damaged during building. The position and type of fencing
will depend on the situation - you should seek the advice of a tree contractor
or consultant, or ask the planning authority who will probably have guidelines
available.
Do not let anybody except the tree contractor onto site
until the protective fencing has been put up. It will help to erect warning
tape along the entire length of the fence - "TREE PROTECTION AREA - KEEP
OUT". Make sure that all contractors and subcontractors have a copy of
the planning consent with the conditions, and a copy of the approved plan (contact
the copyright holder) showing the protective fencing. Make sure that anybody
who comes on site knows that they are not allowed into the protected area(s).
Make sure that the fencing stays up until building is complete, and that nobody
enters the area, changes the ground levels inside it, or stores any material
there.
Make sure that the ground is left in good condition for
planting new trees and other plants. Try to avoid overcompacting the soil, and
relieve any compaction before planting. Rather than importing new topsoil, use
topsoil from the site, improving it if necessary with organic matter such as
composted green waste.
You will be required by planning conditions to ensure that
any new planting is still there up to five years after completion, so either
take responsibility directly by employing a tree / landscape contractor to manage
the new planting to ensure it gets established, or make it clear to prospective
buyers that this will be their responsibility.
Your local planning authority maybe able to let you examine some of these.
This page is derived from advice prepared by Rowan Adams, former Tree and Landscape Officer,
for the Isle of
Wight Council. Reproduced by kind permission.
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