Arboricultural Supervision & Construction Site Monitoring
Urban Tree Management provides Arboricultural Clerk of Works and construction site monitoring services for development projects across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, and the wider North West. Where trees are present on or near a construction site, the local planning authority will often require that tree protection measures are supervised by a qualified arboriculturist throughout the build — either on a periodic basis or for specific high-risk operations.
As your appointed Arboricultural Clerk of Works, we provide a professional advisory and reporting role that keeps your project compliant, your trees protected, and your planning conditions discharged smoothly.
Construction site monitoring is required on sites where trees are of particular arboricultural, landscape, or cultural value, or where they are protected by Tree Preservation Orders. It is also commonly required where construction activity is taking place close to retained trees and the risk of damage cannot be adequately managed through the Arboricultural Method Statement alone.
Monitoring typically takes the form of regular visits throughout the construction programme to verify that tree protection fencing is correctly positioned and maintained, that no unauthorised activity is taking place within exclusion zones, and that the measures set out in the approved Arboricultural Method Statement are being followed. Following each visit, Urban Tree Management prepares a written site inspection record for submission to the local authority tree officer, providing a clear and auditable trail of compliance throughout the build.
For specific high-risk operations — such as excavation within root protection areas, installation of underground services near tree roots, or changes to soil levels adjacent to retained trees — on-site supervision by the appointed arboriculturist may be required at the time the works are carried out. Urban Tree Management can be called upon at any stage of the construction process, including for unplanned events or situations that fall outside the scope of the original Arboricultural Method Statement.
Construction Monitoring with Aerial Surveys
Drone technology allows us to provide efficient, cost-effective site monitoring on larger or more complex developments where ground-level access is limited or where an overview of the whole site is required.
Aerial surveys carried out during construction give planners and local authority tree officers clear visual evidence that the development is progressing in compliance with the approved consent, while allowing contractors to monitor the relationship between construction activity and retained trees across the whole site in real time.
Survey outputs can include video footage, high-resolution still photography, and orthorectified site imagery, all of which can be included in monitoring reports submitted to the local authority.
Discharging Planning Conditions
Many planning permissions for development sites with trees include conditions that require arboricultural supervision to be in place before and during construction. Urban Tree Management works closely with planning authorities across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Merseyside to ensure that all required supervision is carried out and documented to the standard needed to discharge these conditions without delay.
As your Arboricultural Clerk of Works we supervise and report on site access, movement and parking of construction traffic near trees, construction yard and storage area positions, the installation and maintenance of protective barriers and ground protection, all recommended tree works carried out during construction, any changes in soil levels within root protection areas, excavations and service installations within or near root protection areas, compaction management within tree protection zones, the installation or removal of hard surfaces near retained trees, soft landscaping works within root protection areas, and the inspection and condition of both retained and newly planted trees throughout the construction period.
Working With Your Project Team
Our Arboricultural Clerk of Works service runs from pre-construction planning through to post-construction handover. We conduct regular site audits and inspections, provide ongoing guidance to contractors and groundworkers on tree protection requirements, ensure all measures comply with the approved planning conditions, and liaise directly with the local authority tree officer when required — acting as a clear point of contact between the authority and the site team on all arboricultural matters. All inspections are documented and records maintained throughout the construction period.
Our extensive experience working alongside contractors, engineers, architects, and groundworks teams on commercial and residential developments of all sizes across the North West means we understand the practical realities of construction, and provide advice that is both technically sound and deliverable on site.
Arboricultural Clerk of Works for your construction project
If you need a professional tree survey to support your planning application, get in touch and we’ll send a free quote within 24 hours