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

[monkeybusiness]

10 minutes ago, Liquidambar said:

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 ? 

Not really, no.
Groups and woodlands can be identified as such (with any important trees individually identified where necessary) as that is how they are relevant from a planning/landscape perspective. They are given retention values as a group and this information should be sufficient to help steer decisions as to the suitability of the proposed development.

Surveying every single tree would add immense costs and would do nothing other than generate mountains of totally irrelevant data. 
We already have a planning system that forces ridiculous overbearing demands on developers, giving various consultant firms a licence to print money. 

[GarethM]

As this has been rattling on since January 23.

 

If you're so incensed, why not actually employ someone in the know or buy the care home site.

[Liquidambar]

Thanks Gareth  - would a survey listing all trees cost a lot more than listing some of them as groups of trees ?

[GarethM]

2 minutes ago, Liquidambar said:

Thanks Gareth  - would a survey listing all trees cost a lot more than listing some of them as groups of trees ?

Erm, what do you think?.

 

They are NOT going to detail everything on a plan, as per monkeybuisnsss it's not practical or for lack of a better word realistic.

 

It's this overzealous paperwork bs that means with are a nation of do nothing for fear of harming a bloody tree. They'll no doubt be mitigation conditions for tree planting and shrub, now called ecological benefit.

[Liquidambar]

Why isn't it realistic to list all the trees inspected on a site if you inspect all the trees on a site anyway - where does the extra cost come in?

[richyrich]

16 hours ago, Liquidambar said:

Why isn't it realistic to list all the trees inspected on a site if you inspect all the trees on a site anyway - where does the extra cost come in?

Time involved 

[Liquidambar]

Thanks for your response richyrich. How do you decide which trees to report as a group in a tree survey for a planning application?

 

 

[richyrich]

1 hour ago, Liquidambar said:

Thanks for your response richyrich. How do you decide which trees to report as a group in a tree survey for a planning application?

 

 

I've only done tree safety reports, not planning. So I don't know the exact criteria re planning. It can be very time consuming inputting all the data - with a group of similar trees in a group there it reduces the amount of unnecessary info and repetitive input when a group description is just as informative. I think with the planning it would depend on the plot size. I think there is specific criteria where each tree must be plotted if it's within a certain distance of the proposed building. Maybe a group of trees can be added where it is pointless adding individual root zones,etc. . Bit vague from me since I don't really know. 

If you Google the BS you might manage to bring a free copy up. It's expensive to buy otherwise. It should provide the info on these specific questions...

[Mark J]

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-do-you-decide-which-trees-Ljwwtf3KTIOTBlQOeGEsKg

 

This link will give you an idea of tree grouping. There is more to it and it is more nuanced than the AI generated synopsis sets out, but the main facts are there. 

Edited December 28, 2024 by Mark J

[Liquidambar]

Thanks for the useful link Mark 

About "Tree categorization: Trees are categorized based on their quality and value using the British Standard 5837:2012 guidelines "

Leeds City Council are consulting on updating their policies so as to take account of carbon sequestration lost when trees are felled  - not sure if they want to count the carbon stored in trees that are felled - the groups in the tree surveys here seem to go from 3 trees to 8 but the numbers usually aren't recorded - 

do the arboriculturalists felling the trees count the actual number of trees felled ?

Do the hauliers taking felled trees off site know how many trees or the tonnage of timber they carry ?