Tree Constraints Plan (TCP)

A Tree Constraints Plan is produced following the initial BS5837 tree survey and forms the foundation on which the rest of the arboricultural planning process is built. It plots every surveyed tree onto the site plan using accurate GNSS or topographic survey data, showing root protection areas, crown spreads, tree categories, and any above-ground constraints such as shading arcs and crown conflict zones.

Providing this information to the design team at the earliest opportunity allows architects to plan layouts that work with the trees rather than against them — avoiding root protection area incursions, preventing costly redesigns later in the programme, and significantly improving the chances of planning approval first time.



Without an accurate Tree Constraints Plan, architects and developers are effectively designing blind — and the most common consequence is a site layout that conflicts with retained trees, triggering objections, redesigns, or refusal.

Tree Constraints Plan to Become ACOP

Under the new draft BS5837 the Tree Constraints Plan will be replaced by an Arboricultural Constraints and Opportunities Plan — ACOP. The ACOP will be required to show not just existing tree constraints but projected future canopy growth at 10, 20, and 30 years — making canopy cover modelling a standard part of every planning submission. Urban Tree Management's ACOP plans are already being produced to this standard ahead of the new draft coming into force.

Accurate, Planning-Ready Tree Data

Every tree is accurately plotted onto the site layout using GNSS survey equipment or topographic survey data. Survey outputs include tree positions, BS5837 category gradings, crown spreads measured at the four cardinal points, and root protection areas calculated for each tree.

Above and Below-Ground Constraints

The plan clearly shows all constraints likely to affect the development layout, including root protection areas, structural root considerations, shading arcs, crown conflict zones, and buildability limitations. This information is essential for architects when positioning buildings, access routes, parking areas, and services.

CAD-Ready Outputs

All Tree Constraints Plans are produced in AutoCAD and delivered in architect-friendly formats that integrate directly into your design workflow. Plans are clearly colour-coded, fully annotated, and produced to a standard that meets local planning authority validation requirements across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, and beyond.

Our Tree Constraints Plans are produced by fully qualified arboricultural consultants — not technicians or surveyors with limited tree knowledge. This means the data we capture is accurate, the constraints we identify are correctly interpreted, and the advice we provide on buildability and design integration reflects genuine consultancy-level expertise in tree risk assessment, structural root behaviour, and fungal biology.

A TCP produced by Urban Tree Management forms a solid, defensible foundation for the AIA and AMS that follow — making the entire BS5837 process faster, smoother, and less likely to generate objections or conditions from the local authority tree officer.

We work closely with architects, planning consultants, and developers throughout the North West and nationally, and are experienced in delivering TCPs within tight feasibility and planning timescales.