What is a BS5837 Tree Survey?
A BS5837 tree survey is a professional arboricultural survey carried out in accordance with British Standard BS5837 — Trees in Relation to Design, Demolition and Construction.
It is the standard required by local planning authorities across England when a planning application involves a site where trees are present. Without one your application will not be validated where trees are on or near the site.
When Do You Need One?
You need a BS5837 survey if there are trees on your application site, trees on neighbouring land whose roots or canopy may be affected by the works, or if your local planning authority has listed a tree survey on their Local Validation List for your application type. If you are unsure whether your application requires one contact Urban Tree Management and we will advise you based on your specific site and local authority — usually within a few hours.
What Does it Include?
A full BS5837 planning package consists of four documents. The Tree Survey and Schedule records every tree on and adjacent to the site — species, dimensions, condition, and category. The Tree Constraints Plan is a scaled AutoCAD drawing showing all trees, crown spreads, and root protection areas plotted onto the site layout.
The Arboricultural Impact Assessment evaluates the impact of the development on every tree and sets out the mitigation required. The Tree Protection Plan and Arboricultural Method Statement specify the protection measures and working methods to be used during construction. Not every application requires all four — Urban Tree Management advises on the appropriate level of documentation before any work begins.
Tree Categories
Every tree is assessed and placed into one of four categories:
- Category A — high quality, significant arboricultural value, retention a priority
- Category B — moderate quality, retain where reasonably practicable
- Category C — low quality, limited contribution, loss generally acceptable
- Category U — unretainable, removal typically recommended
The New Draft BS5837 — What's Changing
BS5837 is currently under revision and a new draft standard is expected to be published shortly. The key changes are: DBH measured at 1.3m not 1.5m, two new categories — Category V for veteran trees and Category X for trees with less than ten years remaining, Category A threshold reduced to 30 years remaining contribution, RPA for mature Category A trees calculated at DBH x 15 capped at 22.5m radius, the Tree Constraints Plan replaced by an Arboricultural Constraints and Opportunities Plan showing projected future canopy growth, and canopy cover assessment becoming a standard requirement on all development sites modelled over 30 years.
Until the new draft is formally published the current BS5837:2012 remains the applicable standard. Urban Tree Management is already operating to the new draft methodology — our survey tools, software, and canopy cover model are built to the new standard and ready for the transition from day one.
Need a BS5837 Tree Survey? — Greater Manchester, Lancashire & Cheshire
Get in contact today for a free, fixed-fee written quote — typically within two hours during working hours.
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