Planning BS5837 · Surrey

Tree Protection Plan Surrey

Need a Tree Protection Plan for planning discharge or site setup? The TPP shows the protection measures graphically so everybody can see where fencing, ground protection and restricted areas are meant to be.

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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

Put the protection measures on a drawing the contractor can use

A Tree Protection Plan is the site-facing drawing for retained trees. It should show exactly where protective fencing is installed, where ground protection is required and where construction activity is restricted.

The TPP is the drawing that should make tree protection obvious at a glance. It shows where barriers go, where ground protection is needed and which parts of the site are restricted while work is underway.

This matters because the risk to retained trees often comes from ordinary site activity: vehicles, storage, mixing, excavation and repeated trafficking. Protection needs to be coordinated with how the contractor actually intends to use the site.

A plan that cannot coexist with access and logistics is unlikely to work in practice. It is better to identify those conflicts before site setup than after protective fencing has already been moved.

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.

Scaled tree protection drawing
Protective fencing positions
Ground protection zones where required
Construction Exclusion Zones and restricted access areas
No-dig or controlled-working annotations
Cross-reference to AMS and supervision requirements

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 Tree Protection Plan 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.

Protective fencing

The location and specification should be clear and should protect the agreed construction-exclusion areas.

Ground protection

Where access or working space is necessary within sensitive areas, the plan should show where specialist protection is required.

Site logistics

Storage, parking, cabins, skips and access routes need to be compatible with the tree-protection arrangement.

Drawing coordination

The TPP must relate to the approved site layout and should not be based on a superseded planning drawing.

How it fits into the wider BS5837 process

The TPP is the spatial companion to the Arboricultural Method Statement.

The AIA explains why the development can work with the retained trees. The AMS explains the construction methods. The TPP shows where the protection measures sit on the site.

Where supervision is required, the TPP can also help the site team understand the areas that must remain protected before and during the relevant hold points.

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 approved layout, planning condition and any AMS or AIA already prepared. If a contractor logistics plan exists, include it so potential conflicts can be identified early.

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

TPPs are common where retained trees sit close to construction activity or where a planning condition requires the protection arrangement to be approved before site commencement.

Pre-commencement condition

The council requires the protection arrangement to be submitted and approved before works begin.

Retained trees close to access

Vehicle routes and protection need to be designed to coexist.

Constrained sites

Fencing, storage and working space compete for limited room and need to be coordinated before site setup.

Ground protection required

Construction access is needed in a sensitive area where normal trafficking could compact or damage rooting soil.

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 Tree Protection Plan 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 Tree Protection Plan can be considered in the context of what the project needs to achieve next.

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What good looks like

The protection plan should be obvious to somebody standing on site with the drawing in their hand.

Clear linework, tree references and unambiguous protection zones matter more than decorative complexity. The contractor needs to know what goes where.

If site logistics change, the protection arrangement should be checked before barriers are moved or restricted areas are used for storage or access.

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

Tree Protection Plan 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.

What does a Tree Protection Plan show?

It normally shows retained trees, protective fencing, construction-exclusion areas, ground protection and other tree-protection measures relevant to the build.

When is the TPP prepared?

Often before commencement, particularly where a planning condition requires tree-protection details to be approved.

Is it the same as a Tree Constraints Plan?

No. A Constraints Plan is primarily for design. A Tree Protection Plan is primarily for construction.

Does the contractor need a copy?

Yes. It is a practical site document and should be available to the people responsible for setup and construction activity.

What if access conflicts with the fencing?

Raise it before work starts. The protection and access strategy may need to be coordinated rather than simply moving the fencing on site.

Ready to move it forward?

Get the Tree Protection Plan ready before the site is set up.

Send the approved drawings and condition wording for a clear proposal.

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