Tree Protection Plans (TPP)
Tree Protection Plans are a required element of planning applications where trees are present on or near a development site. Produced in conjunction with an Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Arboricultural Method Statement, a Tree Protection Plan translates the findings of the tree survey into clear, AutoCAD-drawn site plans that show contractors, site managers, and local authority tree officers exactly how retained trees will be protected throughout construction.
Urban Tree Management produces Tree Protection Plans for developers, architects, and homeowners across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, and the wider North West.
What is a Tree Protection Plan?
A Tree Protection Plan is a scaled drawing plotted directly onto the site layout plan using AutoCAD. It shows the location and dimensions of all trees recommended for retention, their root protection areas, and the specific protection measures to be installed before construction begins. The plan is submitted with the planning application and forms part of the approved planning conditions — meaning the local planning authority can inspect the site at any time during construction to verify compliance.
A well-produced Tree Protection Plan does two things: it helps secure planning permission by demonstrating to the local authority that retained trees will be properly safeguarded, and it gives contractors a clear, unambiguous reference document to follow on site — reducing the risk of accidental tree damage and the costly remediation or enforcement action that can follow.
What a Tree Protection Plan Includes
- Scaled AutoCAD drawing plotted onto the site layout plan
- Location and dimensions of all trees and hedgerows to be retained
- Root Protection Areas shown for each retained tree
- Exclusion zones where no construction activity, storage, or vehicle movement is permitted
- Tree protection fencing positions and specification
- Temporary ground protection details for areas of unavoidable activity within RPAs
- No-dig zone annotations where underground services or hard surfaces approach tree roots
- Service and utility routing recommendations to avoid root damage
- Facilitation pruning requirements prior to construction
How the TPP Works with Your AIA and AMS
The Tree Protection Plan is one of three documents that together form your complete arboricultural planning package. The Arboricultural Impact Assessment identifies which trees are affected by the development and assesses the level of impact. The Arboricultural Method Statement describes in writing how construction works near trees will be carried out. The Tree Protection Plan then translates both documents into a clear site drawing that everyone on the project — from the planning officer to the groundworker — can understand and follow.
Submitting all three documents together as part of your planning application significantly reduces the risk of objections, conditions, or requests for further information from the local authority tree officer.
Local Authority Inspections During Construction
Once planning permission is granted with tree protection conditions, the local planning authority has the right to visit the site at any point during construction to check that the approved Tree Protection Plan is being implemented correctly. Failures to comply — such as fencing not erected, materials stored within exclusion zones, or ground compaction within RPAs — can result in enforcement action, stop notices, or conditions being imposed on future applications.
A clearly drawn, detailed Tree Protection Plan that is easy to follow on site is the best protection against these issues. Urban Tree Management remains available throughout the construction phase to advise on any site queries and to liaise directly with the local authority tree officer if required.
Tree Protection Plans Under the New Draft BS5837
The Tree Protection Plan remains a core requirement under the new draft BS5837. The key change affecting protection plans is the revised RPA calculation for mature Category A trees — DBH x 15 capped at 22.5m radius rather than the current DBH x 12 — which will result in significantly larger protection zones for the highest quality trees on some sites. Urban Tree Management's Tree Protection Plans are produced to the new draft RPA calculations as standard.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR OUR ARBORICULTURAL SERVICES, PLEASE BROWSE:
Method statements and Tree Protection Plans
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