Arboriculture
Arboriculture surveying services
Southern Ecological Solutions’ arboriculture surveying team offers a complete portfolio of services, including BS 5837:2012 tree surveys for planning purposes, arboriculture impact assessments and arboriculture method statements.
Trees are a material consideration for any development, both in the land being developed and in adjacent third-party land. SES undertakes multiple surveys following best practices and the BS 5837:2012 Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction. Our pragmatic approach ensures the required data for masterplanning and the application process. We have extensive knowledge and experience in the private and public sector and understand what is expected and required to minimise planning process delays.
Our planning and development application services
- Arboricultural feasibility assessments
- Tree constraints surveys and reports
- Arboricultural impact assessments and method statements
- Site supervision and monitoring reports
Arboricultural impact assessments (AIA) evaluate the proposed design layout and shows direct and indirect impact on existing trees. An AIA should be submitted as part of a planning application and the local planning authority validation checklist and provides informed reasoning for tree retention and loss regarding the proposed development.
An arboricultural method statement sets out how work should be done near trees, particularly if within root protection areas. Specialist engineering and methods of work may allow for some construction within root protection areas of retained trees. A computer-aided design (CAD) based plan showing below ground constraints in the form of a root protection area and above ground constraints, including the current height and spread of the tree’s canopy. Protection requirements ensure the long-term wellbeing of retained trees. This might be a combination of protection barriers and ground protection. Areas requiring specialist methods of engineering and construction will also be indicated.
Arboriculture consultancy services
Our professional arboriculture consultancy team offerd a complete portfolio of services, including planning and development, expert witness, tree risk management, subsidence investigations, mortgage surveys, tree health assessments and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys, woodland management, air spade investigation, biosecurity assessment and management, and capital asset valuation for amenity trees and decay detection.
Planning conditions often require that tree protection on a development site is regularly monitored by an arboriculturist to ensure compliance. Any work in root protection areas is likely to require supervision by an arboriculturist.
A land or tree owner has a duty of care under the Occupiers Liability Act 1984 to ensure their trees are safe. SES can offer guidance on how frequently trees should be surveyed. We provide services to establish the condition of trees and any work required to reduce and mitigate risk. Trees are surveyed using a systematic and diagnostic approach to assess structural and physiological health, as well as pests and disease.
A visual tree assessment (VTA) is used to assess a tree for signs of structural or physiological defects that may impact the safety or life expectancy of the tree. Tree owners have a duty of care to minimise the risk that their trees could cause harm or damage, although this is balanced with the likelihood of this harm occurring.
A TPO application requires technical information from an arboriculturist to support the application. It is based on the condition of the tree or potential damage caused by the tree. We can help with applications and provide advice.
Protecting our historic treescape is important from a cultural, historical and ecological perspective and often requires specialist management considerations. Our surveys can inform a woodland management programme to promote good woodland management practices and biodiversity, as well as individual or woodland management plans for veteran and ancient trees.
SES’s expert witness services extend to arboriculture for public inquiries, insurance tree-related subsidence, planning and development and tree preservation orders. We act as single and joint experts and are conversant with the civil procedure rules and the obligations.
Find out moreTree health assessments
Unmanned aerial vehicles and chlorophyll fluorescence testing
SES uses a range of specialist equipment to assess tree physiology where the health is not obvious to the naked eye. By using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and multispectral imaging software and chlorophyll fluorescence testing, we can detect the early signs of stresses in trees and provide mitigation options to enable tree retention rather than removal. This creates a more sustainable approach and reduces costs in a range of situations, from young tree planting and establishment to mature tree retention. Our multifaceted equipment enables us to deploy the right tools for the right job while being cost-effective. We provide services from single trees to groups, woodlands and vast infrastructure projects.
Subsidence investigations
Tree roots can influence soil conditions. Certain soils (such as clay soils) can lead to soil moisture deficiency and a change in the soil volume, thereby damaging a property. We offer specialist technical expertise where trees or other woody vegetation have been implicated in subsidence damage. It involves undertaking a systematic process of assessing the tree and the site, as well as the site investigation data, such as soil type and moisture, level, crack monitoring and root analysis. The analysis enables us to determine the tree’s involvement and a management plan to mitigate any structural damage.
Capital asset value for amenity trees
The capital asset value for amenity trees (CAVAT) tool values amenity trees and values when wilful destruction or negligence has occurred. It is used for numerous applications linked to urban forest management, such as planning, budget setting and mitigation planting when a tree cannot be retained in the urban environment and needs replacing. We can provide CAVAT assessments to advise clients on the value of a tree, helping them in the decision-making process of their project or case.
Get in touchDecay detection
Decay detection enables us to make a detailed assessment on a tree where a visual assessment does not provide a comprehensive process. It is used when defects are detected and a tree’s internal structure needs to be better understood. Systems include resistograph, sonic tomography, increment corer and fractometer.
Biosecurity
Biosecurity has become a major topic, owing to the significant number of pests and diseases threatening the health of the UK’s tree stock. We have experience in surveying and managing trees under threat from pests and disease.
Air spade investigations
SES provides air spade services to clients to help inform decisions around tree management and planning. Air spading is a non-invasive method of exposing tree roots for mapping and assessing tree root health, as well as identifying the position of roots when building in a rooting zone or root protection area. We use this system for improved health, with vertical mulching providing decompaction to a rooting area, allowing for water percolation and gaseous exchange as well as introducing nutrients down to the root system to improve overall tree health.
Get in touchSustainable, pragmatic, and client-focused solutions
Discover how our arboriculture services can help you with your development requirements.
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