Planning BS5837 · Surrey

Tree Constraints Plan Surrey

Still designing? Get the tree constraints onto the drawing before the layout hardens. A Tree Constraints Plan gives the architect a clear spatial view of crowns, Root Protection Areas and the main arboricultural constraints.

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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

Use the tree information while the design can still move

The Tree Constraints Plan turns survey data into a design tool. It helps the architect see where higher-quality trees, crowns and rooting areas need to influence the layout before the project reaches impact-assessment stage.

The Tree Constraints Plan is where survey information becomes immediately useful to design. It shows the tree constraints on a plan so the architect can see where a building, access or other development element may need to move or respond differently.

This is particularly valuable on constrained sites. A few metres of movement at feasibility stage may solve a problem that becomes expensive to justify once the design is fixed and the planning application has been assembled.

The plan is not a simple “do not build here” map. It is an evidence layer that helps the project team understand where tree quality, crowns and rooting areas need to influence the design response.

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.

Tree positions and reference numbers
Crown spreads and relevant canopy constraints
Root Protection Areas
BS5837 category information
Design-relevant constraint annotations
Base information for AIA and later protection plans

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 Constraints 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.

Tree categories

The design team can see which trees carry greater retention value and where lower-quality trees may offer more flexibility.

Crown constraints

Existing and future crown relationships can influence building position, garden space, access and the long-term relationship between occupants and retained trees.

Root Protection Areas

RPAs provide a key design constraint, interpreted alongside real site features and known disturbance.

Base-plan coordination

The constraints are most useful when plotted on a reliable topographical or site survey that the architect is also using.

How it fits into the wider BS5837 process

Use the Constraints Plan before the AIA, while there is still something useful to change.

The survey establishes the data. The TCP presents the principal constraints spatially. The architect can then develop a layout that responds to the tree information.

Once the proposal is defined, the AIA can assess the actual impacts rather than spending pages explaining conflicts that could have been designed out earlier.

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 topographical survey or best available site plan and any early design options. If no design exists yet, that is not a problem — this is exactly the stage where the constraints information is most useful.

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

This service is especially useful for feasibility studies, architect-led design, replacement dwellings, infill schemes and sites where several mature trees compete for space with the proposal.

Feasibility studies

The client wants to understand where tree constraints sit before committing to a development layout.

Replacement dwellings

A new house, access and garden arrangement need to be tested against retained trees.

Infill development

Available development space is tight and early tree information can prevent avoidable conflicts.

Architect-led options

Several layout options are being compared and the tree constraints need to form part of that decision.

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

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What good looks like

The best Constraints Plan changes a design conversation early enough to matter.

It should allow an architect to understand the main arboricultural opportunities and constraints quickly, without waiting for a later planning objection to reveal them.

Where a design knowingly enters a constraint, that can then be addressed openly in the AIA with an appropriate technical response rather than discovered at the end.

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 Constraints 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.

When should a Tree Constraints Plan be prepared?

Ideally at feasibility or pre-design stage, after suitable tree survey information is available and before the layout is fixed.

Does it show Root Protection Areas?

Yes, RPAs are a core part of the design-stage tree constraints information.

Is it a Tree Protection Plan?

No. The TCP is for design-stage constraints; the TPP is for construction-stage protection.

Can my architect use it for layout design?

Yes. That is one of its main purposes — putting the relevant tree information into the design process early.

Do I still need an AIA later?

Often, once a real proposal exists. The AIA then assesses the chosen layout against the survey and constraints information.

Ready to move it forward?

Put the tree constraints in front of the design team now.

Send the site plan or topo and we will confirm the survey and constraints requirements.

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