Excavation at the edge of Root Protection Area

[Grey24601]

Hi All,

Please do not shoot me. I am a designer that is looking at options on a garden design and I need your vast advice. I believe that it is always better to ask than assume so here goes.

The garden has a beautiful old willow and an existing patio in place. I have used the calculation of the root protection area that an arborist made for the tree. This is the circle on the screen dumps. I would like to include a path around the patio but it impinges slightly in to the RPA. To create a level path I would need to excavate 230mm down from the existing level for a small section and install edging. I would then need to install the gravel path. My question is. If this went to planning, would this be acceptable or does 'no digging' in the RPA really mean no digging at all? I can't build up from the existing level and use a Root Protection System for the path as it will be too high up the patio. At the moment the levels dip back down to the patio steps. If this was allowable, would you recommend using a RPS for the path given that it has already been excavated? The initial investigation hasn't found any roots in the area.

 

Thanks in advance. 

[Dan Maynard]

I'd be interested if you go ahead and get it through planning.

 

My feeling is the tree will be fine, willows stand an enormous amount of abuse above ground and sprout back. The RPA is obviously standardised and not right for every tree anyway, some roots will be outside that but there's plenty of room for it to seek water in the rest of the lawn.

[John Shutler]

Although any excavation within an RPA needs to be justified the reality is that the % of incursion will be so low that there won’t be a negative impact. that coupled with a bit of arb supervision during the works and you should be ok 

[Grey24601]

Thank you. Thankfully my client always wants to do what is right for the tree.