Residential Services

Arboricultural Impact Assessments for Planning Applications

For assistance with your new development project, we offer a full Arboricultural Impact Assessment service in accordance with BS5837:2012 Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction - Recommendations to support your planning application. 

Further information on our Arboricultural Impact Assessment service can be found in our Development Planning Section.

Tree Health, Condition, Safety and Management Reports

The vast  majority of residential properties with private gardens will feature trees of varying species, age, size and condition around the property. 

Owners of trees have a legal obligation under UK common and statute law to ensure their trees do not cause reasonably foreseeable damage or harm to people or property. For further reading on trees and the law, please refer to the Useful Links page.

Having trees inspected regularly and updating a Tree Health and Condition Report will help ensure compliance with these legal requirements and provide tree owners with best practice advice and guidance on maintaining their trees safely and effectively.

The physiological and structural condition of all surveyed trees are assessed during the tree survey using the Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) method of inspection, which is widely used throughout the industry. 

VTA can involve up to three stages, beginning with a ground level visual inspection (Stage1), using certain tools where necessary, such as sounding hammers and probes to test trunk cavities, splits, cracks and buttress roots for signs of hollowing or decay. Binoculars are also used for upper crown framework inspection. The presence and species of decay fungi fruiting bodies are also investigated during the tree inspection, as these can be indicators of poor physiological tree health and structural integrity.

Stages 2 and 3 of the VTA process may be recommended, which involves further investigation of identified defects (at Stage 1) using semi invasive testing equipment such as a Resistograph micro drill or sonic tomography. An aerial or climbed inspection of suspected upper trunk or crown defects may also be recommended following Stage 1, where a suspected defect in the upper parts of the tree has been identified but cannot be fully quantified from the ground level visual inspection.

Landowners and residential estate managers may also commission a Tree Health and Condition Report for the assessment of trees for example, in communal areas of private roads or residential estates which fall under the management responsibility of the Residents Association. (i.e. trees located outside of the boundaries of individual properties within the private road or estate).

Tree Health and Condition Reports are produced following the undertaking of an initial tree assessment survey. The published report will serve as a "working document," reviewed periodically (e.g. annually or on a 16 month basis to alternate between Spring/Summer - Autumn/Winter inspections) to assist with future planning and management of trees growing on an individual property, or within the communal grounds of a private road or residential estate.

This type of report will ensure proper tree management and aftercare, such as avoiding unnecessary pruning and performing pruning exercises at the appropriate time of year for the species concerned. 

Importantly, advice can be given on the safety of trees growing in target areas (such as within gardens, along roadsides, or in car parking areas etc) and timely recommendations can be made to remove hazardous trees, or reduce reasonably foreseeable hazards to acceptable levels.

Tree Sense Arboricultural Consultants do not offer contractual tree surgery services; therefore, our advice is entirely independent and impartial. This ensures that any tree surgery recommendations we make are genuinely for the benefit of you and your trees.

We can connect you with local, reliable tree surgery contractors who are Arboricultural Association Approved (AAA) and trusted to undertake our recommendations to the highest standards. Our preferred contractors can be found [HERE].

Please contact us to discuss your requirements further, arrange a consultation meeting, or learn more about our consultancy services for private homeowners, landlords, and estate managers.