Planning BS5837 · Surrey

Arboricultural Method Statement Surrey

Need an Arboricultural Method Statement to discharge a condition or prepare for construction? The AMS turns the approved tree strategy into practical instructions for the work that will happen on site.

Get My Fixed-Fee Quote →Call 020 4531 6444

You can send the plans and the wording you have received. We will confirm what information is needed before you instruct.

What this service is for

Construction methods that protect retained trees in practice

The Method Statement deals with the activities that can affect retained trees during demolition and construction: excavation, access, surfacing, services, scaffolding, storage, ground protection and specialist work close to roots.

The AMS is written for the point where the project has to move from approved drawings into real construction. It sets out how tree-sensitive work will be carried out and what needs to happen before, during and after those operations.

It should be written with the contractor in mind. Instructions have to be clear enough to follow on site, while also giving the Local Planning Authority confidence that the agreed protection strategy is capable of being delivered.

Where a condition has been imposed, send the exact wording. The document should answer that condition directly rather than provide a generic construction method that leaves the important points unresolved.

What you receive

The exact output depends on the site and project stage, but the work should always be clear, coordinated and usable by the people making the next decision.

Sequence of arboricultural protection measures
Construction Exclusion Zone controls
Protective fencing and ground-protection requirements
Methods for excavation or specialist works near roots
Site access, storage and logistics restrictions
Supervision and inspection hold points where required

The finished information should be easy for the client and design team to understand, technically defensible for the Local Planning Authority and practical enough to carry forward into the next project stage.

Delivered by Arbor Cultural: read the main Arboricultural Method Statement service information →

What matters technically

The details that make the document useful.

The strongest arboricultural documents are not generic. They connect the tree information to the live drawings, explain the points that matter and leave as little room as possible for contradictory interpretation.

Excavation near roots

The method needs to identify where excavation is sensitive, how it will be undertaken and what happens if significant roots are encountered.

Access and working space

Machinery routes, scaffolding, storage and temporary access can affect trees even where the finished building is outside the RPA.

Services and drainage

Routes should be coordinated with retained trees and the method should explain any specialist installation where normal trenching would create unacceptable impact.

Hold points

Where arboricultural attendance is required, the AMS should identify the stage clearly so the contractor knows when work must pause for inspection or supervision.

How it fits into the wider BS5837 process

The AMS should deliver the strategy already accepted at planning stage.

The AIA explains the impact and mitigation. The AMS turns that mitigation into a practical sequence for demolition and construction.

It normally works alongside the Tree Protection Plan. One explains the method; the other shows the protection arrangement spatially. If supervision is required, the hold points should be obvious in both the documents and the site programme.

01Survey & constraints

02Design & AIA

03AMS & TPP

04Supervision & sign-off

Before you request a quote

Send whatever project information you already have.

You do not need to build a perfect technical brief. Start with the site address, the current drawings and the exact wording from the council, tree officer, architect, engineer or Building Control team. If a previous arboricultural report exists, include it. If the design has been revised, send the latest revision.

Send the planning condition, approved drawings, AIA and any existing Tree Protection Plan. If the contractor already has a programme or logistics plan, include that too.

If there is a planning submission, condition-discharge or construction deadline, include that date as well. Programme matters because some services depend on a site visit, drawing information or an earlier BS5837 stage being complete.

We would rather tell you that a document is not needed than sell the wrong one. The aim is to identify the information that unlocks the next real project decision.

Where clients normally need this

Typical project situations

AMS work is commonly required after planning permission where the council wants the sensitive construction sequence agreed before work begins.

Condition discharge before commencement

The council requires the tree-sensitive construction method to be approved before work starts.

Excavation near retained roots

The method sets out how excavation will proceed and what controls apply if roots are encountered.

New surfacing or access

No-dig or specialist construction may be needed where conventional excavation would affect retained trees.

Services through constrained areas

Drainage or utility routes require an agreed installation method close to roots.

After instruction

What happens once you go ahead.

The exact sequence changes by service, but the working principle is the same: review the live project, complete the technical work, keep the drawings coordinated and issue information that has a clear purpose.

Project review

We check the current drawings, authority wording and any previous arboricultural information. This establishes what is already known and prevents the new work being prepared in isolation.

Site work where required

Survey-based services include the relevant site inspection and measurements. Later-stage documents may rely primarily on approved information, current construction detail and targeted site context.

Technical coordination

The Arboricultural Method Statement is prepared against the project information that actually matters to the decision. Drawing references and tree numbers should remain clear throughout.

Issue and next step

You receive the finished information for the project team. Where another BS5837 stage follows later, the report should make that obvious rather than leaving the client to guess what happens next.

Where the design changes materially after issue, send the revised drawing. We can check whether the document remains applicable or whether a focused amendment is required. Keeping the technical information aligned is far easier than explaining inconsistent documents after submission.

A useful report is more than a compliance exercise

It should help somebody make a decision.

A technically correct document can still be difficult to use if it is vague, disconnected from the drawings or written without the next project stage in mind. Good arboricultural work should reduce uncertainty rather than add another layer of terminology.

For the client, that means understanding what has been found and what it means for the project. For the architect, it means tree information that can be coordinated with the design. For the planning authority, it means a clear evidence trail. For the contractor, it means protection and construction requirements that can actually be followed on site.

We also distinguish between what is important now and what belongs later. There is little value in preparing construction-stage detail while the planning layout is still changing, just as there is little value in repeating feasibility discussion once a pre-commencement condition is the only thing stopping the build.

Keep the project moving

Tell us what decision is waiting.

If the application cannot be validated, send the validation request. If the tree officer has asked a question, send the full response. If a planning condition is preventing commencement, send the decision notice and approved drawings. If the engineer needs foundation-related tree data, send the Building Control request.

The fastest way to get the right answer is to show us the real blockage. From there, the Arboricultural Method Statement can be considered in the context of what the project needs to achieve next.

Send My Project →

What good looks like

A Method Statement should read like a usable construction document.

The contractor should be able to identify the restricted areas, sensitive operations, sequencing and any requirement for arboricultural attendance without interpreting vague planning language.

If the proposed construction method changes, update the arboricultural document. A condition discharge only helps if the method on paper remains the method used on site.

Keep the report and drawings on the same revision.

A surprisingly common problem is a technically competent report that refers to an old layout. If the footprint, access, levels, drainage, services or surfacing change, send the revision. We can then confirm whether the arboricultural information still stands or whether a targeted update is required.

That becomes even more important once the project reaches construction. The contractor needs documents that reflect what was approved and what is actually going to be built. Clear, coordinated information is easier for everybody: client, architect, planning officer, tree officer and site team.

Who we work with

Clear information for the whole project team.

Homeowners: you do not need to arrive with a technical brief. Send the council wording and drawings you have. We will explain what the request means and what information is needed next.

Architects and planning consultants: we can work directly from the live design information and keep the arboricultural documents tied to the correct revision. That is especially useful where the proposal is changing and tree constraints need to be considered as part of the design rather than after it.

Developers: consistent tree references and a clear document sequence make it easier to carry the same evidence from feasibility through planning and into construction.

Contractors: once permission is in place, the language needs to become practical. Protection zones, excavation methods, access restrictions and hold points should be obvious enough to use on site.

Tell us what you already have.

If somebody has already surveyed the trees, send the report. If the council has already accepted part of the arboricultural package, send the approved documents. If the architect has revised the scheme, send the new drawing as well as the old report.

Existing work is useful context. It helps us avoid repeating information unnecessarily and makes it easier to see where the project has genuinely changed.

If you are starting from scratch, that is fine too. An address and current plan are enough to begin the conversation, and the original council or consultant wording is the best guide where a formal request has already been made.

Questions clients ask us

Arboricultural Method Statement FAQs

These are general answers. If you have project-specific wording, send it with the drawings and we can tell you how it applies to your site.

Why has the council asked for an AMS?

Usually because it wants the tree-sensitive construction methods agreed before work starts, often through a pre-commencement planning condition.

Is the AMS the same as a Tree Protection Plan?

No. The AMS explains how work will be carried out. The TPP shows the physical protection measures and restricted areas on a drawing.

Can the contractor use the AMS on site?

That is the intention. It should be practical, clear and coordinated with the approved drawings and build sequence.

Do I need supervision as well?

Possibly. The condition or method may require an arboriculturist to attend specific hold points or sensitive operations.

What if the construction method changes?

Tell us before the sensitive work takes place. The AMS may need to be updated so the approved tree-protection strategy remains valid.

Ready to move it forward?

Get the construction method agreed before sensitive work starts.

Send the condition wording, approved plans and any existing tree documents.

Get My Fixed-Fee Quote →Email the plans