Canopy Cover Assessment — Planning Applications & the New Draft BS5837
Urban Tree Management provides canopy cover assessments for planning applications across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, and the wider North West — using our own validated canopy cover model built to the methodology set out in the new draft BS5837.
As canopy cover assessment moves towards becoming a standard requirement on all development sites, Urban Tree Management is already ahead of the curve — delivering canopy cover assessments as part of our BS5837 planning packages and as standalone assessments where specifically requested by the local planning authority.
What is a Canopy Cover Assessment?
A canopy cover assessment quantifies the existing tree canopy on a development site and models how that canopy will change over time — both with and without the proposed development. It shows the existing baseline canopy as it stands today, how retained trees are projected to grow over the next 10, 20, and 30 years, the canopy lost through tree removals required by the development, the new canopy established through replacement planting, and the point at which new canopy growth equals and then exceeds the canopy lost — the breakeven point after which the development results in a net canopy gain.
This moves the conversation away from the binary question of whether trees are being lost or retained, and gives planning officers a clear evidence-based picture of the long-term canopy trajectory of the development site.
New Draft BS5837 — Canopy Cover Becoming Standard
Under the new draft BS5837 canopy cover assessment will become a standard requirement on all development sites — not just those where the LPA specifically requests it. The Tree Constraints Plan will be replaced by the ACOP which must illustrate projected future canopy growth, and all Arboricultural Impact Reports will be required to demonstrate no net loss of canopy cover over a 30-year assessment period.
Urban Tree Management is already operating to this standard. Our canopy cover model is built to the new draft methodology, our ACOP plans show projected canopy growth at all four horizons, and our Arboricultural Impact Reports already incorporate the no net loss analysis that the new standard will require. When the new draft is published our clients will not need to change anything — we are already there.
Canopy Cover Assessments & BS5837 Planning Packages — Greater Manchester, Lancashire & Cheshire
Whether your LPA has specifically requested a canopy cover assessment or you want to get ahead of the new draft BS5837 requirement, Urban Tree Management can deliver a fully integrated canopy cover assessment as part of your BS5837 planning package.
Get in contact with our highly experienced and personable team of arboriculturists today, to discuss your requirements and to obtain your zero obligation quotation.