Christmas Cracker : BS 5837 Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction – Code of Practice Revision Consultation

[Liquidambar]

BS 5837 Revision - Consultation
Author:  BSI  08/11/2022Last Updated:  09/11/2022
BS 5837 Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction – Code of Practice

Has revised BS 5837 been published ?

[Liquidambar]

Just found this    https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/committees/50000595   so looks like a while yet 

 

For a local planning application - now refused -  the developer's landscape consultant wrote in the Design and Access Statement  :  " It is impossible to know exact numbers of trees lost as many were surveyed as a group without individual stems plotted accurately, and as such the numbers provided in this report are an estimation based on topographical survey information and physical site survey where possible."

How will trees lost be compensated for if the number of trees felled is not recorded ?

The developer had previously explained to the Parish Council that they were clear felling trees  " to aid in surveying the site further before finalising the new planning application " 

BS 5837 2012  Tree surveys for the woodland site show these tree groups could be 8 or more trees - will the tree contractor who felled the trees know how many individual tree stems were removed ?

Edited 11 hours ago by Liquidambar
repetition

[Liquidambar]

Any chance the new BS 5837 will recommend a method for accounting for carbon sequestration loss ?

Local Council Local Development Plan Update Topics : 

"Retaining existing trees
LCC aims to preserve existing trees and establish a replacement planting regime that considers the carbon storage capacity of trees."

Can surveyors of trees be persuaded - is it essential now ?  - to identify individually in a tree survey all the trees they see on site?

[Liquidambar]

 

 

Would this easily capture all trees individually ? 

In simple terms, a BS5837 survey will see an arboriculturist attending a development site and reviewing all trees in the local vicinity. Each tree will be branded with a predetermined category to indicate the current condition of the tree and decide the most suitable outcome for it. A thorough above and below-ground assessment will help to establish the value and species of every tree, as well as such details as the canopy cover, crown spread, tree roots and root protection area.

Undertaken using Trimble® Juno handheld (Global Positioning System) location device and PT Mapper Pro, the arboricultural surveyor can store extensive information about each tree including spatial information and accurately plot the trees straight onto an ordnance survey or topographical survey map. Results from a BS5837 will instruct the developer on appropriate next steps for the trees and demonstrate to the local authorities that laws protecting trees have been followed.

 

 

 

[Liquidambar]

About groups of trees in BS 5837 2012 

"Groups and Un-named Trees
The BSI 5837:2012 does not specify what to do with groups of trees in any great detail. With OTISS, Groups and Hedges can be created by plotting a set of individual trees and then ‘wrapping’ them up to form a single item in your reports. Plotting these internal trees is mainly useful so that you can show their Crown Spread and/or RPA on the plans. But you do not want these extra trees showing up in the reports as un-wanted clutter."

 

[Liquidambar]

For the first tree survey in 2017 on this local woodland site the surveyor listed 43 groups of trees - I've tried to establish how much tree material left the site and what happened to it - in 2023 tree trunks seemed to be transported away by J&J Ward in HGVs labelled Bulk Logistics - I asked them about how much timber left the site and how it was used but got no response. The smaller stuff was mainly chipped on site and large chunks blew over adjoining gardens and was great for spreading buddleia - on site nice big butterfly population in 2023 but the owner strimmed it and all saplings all again 

 

I should make clear that the Arboricultural Consultancy who did the 2024 VALID assessment are not the company who carried out the tree clearances in 2023 .

Edited 5 hours ago by Liquidambar
Clarification

[monkeybusiness]

I’m a bit confused by this thread - not sure if I’m only seeing one side of a conversation for some reason?

[Liquidambar]

Yes sorry - I'm on a learning curve - looking for information and verification -

I'm adding comments and questions as they occur/ as I read  - all responses gratefully received..

I'm trying to fathom how after 3 tree surveys and with BS tree standards and 2 plans panels our village still lost about 200 trees ....and to see how we can stop even more tree losses from this site when the next planning application goes in .

Edited 5 hours ago by Liquidambar

[monkeybusiness]

The biggest threat to trees on development sites is ‘speculative’ removal prior to any tree surveys being undertaken.  
Once the tree stock is surveyed and included within a planning application the current system affords very good protection in my experience.

[Liquidambar]

Thanks. Please could I ask - Do you think a tree survey should list all trees in the survey area individually rather than listing some only as groups of trees not individually identified ?

What I dimly perceive is that listing as a group rather than say as 9 individual trees means scheduled tree removals of say 10 groups looks better to the casual observer like a Plans Panel than the removal of 90 trees for development rather than arboricultural reasons 

Edited 4 hours ago by Liquidambar