BS5837 Tree Reports and Tree Surveys in Haslemere
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 proposal and the exact Waverley wording. We can then tell you whether you need the survey/constraints stage, an AIA against the live layout, or construction-stage AMS/TPP information. The scope can therefore remain proportionate to the current stage rather than commissioning later-stage documents prematurely.
For Haslemere projects, the survey is most useful when it reaches the design team early enough to influence the layout. If the design is already advanced, the AIA can instead focus on explaining the chosen response and any mitigation required.
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 Haslemere 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.
Waverley Borough Council is assessing the development proposal, so the arboricultural information has to connect to the footprint, access, surfacing, levels, services and construction method that form part of that proposal.
If the drainage or utility routes are not fixed on the Haslemere project, mention that now. Keeping a trench away from important roots on the drawing is usually easier than engineering a solution after the route has been committed.
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.








