BS5837 Tree Reports and Tree Surveys in Burstow
Programme matters. A survey may need a site visit; an AIA needs a stable enough design to assess; construction documents may depend on approved information. Telling us the deadline early helps set realistic expectations before instruction.
Send the current plan and Tandridge wording together. We can then build the evidence in the right order — survey first if needed, impact assessment once the design exists, and method/protection information when the scheme reaches construction.
A drive or access can cause the tree problem even when the building is nowhere near the RPA. Excavation, level changes, compaction and site traffic all count, so we look at them as part of the actual scheme.
Replacement dwellings and infill schemes in Burstow need more than a simple overlap check. Future crown space, garden use, access, parking and the way the site is built can all influence whether the long-term tree/building relationship is sensible.
Use the wording from Tandridge District Council as the starting brief. If it asks for a Method Statement, an impact report will not answer the condition. If it asks for impact information, a protection drawing on its own is not enough. We match the work to the actual request.
If you are managing several sites around Burstow, send each site with its own drawings and authority wording. The process can be consistent without pretending the sites have identical tree constraints.
If the council has asked for tree information, send the exact wording.
A request for a “tree report” does not always mean the same document. At the early design stage it may mean a BS5837 Tree Survey and Tree Constraints Plan. Once a planning layout exists, the missing piece may be an Arboricultural Impact Assessment. After permission, the authority may be asking for an Arboricultural Method Statement, Tree Protection Plan or supervision before work starts.
You do not need to make that decision yourself. Forward the email, validation request, tree-officer comment or planning condition and include the current drawings. We will review what is already available and explain the next useful step before you instruct.








