Method statement - what's expected ?

[Sullo]

HI

 

I have received planning permission for a rear extension to my house, with a constraint attached that I must provide the council with a Method Statement conforming to BS5837, prior to starting construction work.

 

Some background; I had full planning permission without any conditions initially. It was not until I applied for planning permission for a single story extension, in addition to the original application, that it upset my neighbour at which stage the Conifers, which act as hedge between myself and neighbour, became important in terms of maintaining a screen between the two properties. The inclusion of the method statement condition was added to the second planning consent. Planners approved my plans with 1meter depth normal type foundations and also the plans have been approved by building control.

 

There is a large Oak Tree in the garden (guess diameter 1 meter) with a TPO. The Oak tree lies 5 meters from a retaining wall, garden is raised by 1.25 to 1.5meters above patio level. The other side of retaining wall is a slabbed patio (4 meters wide and is leads up to rear wall of my house). I have permission to build my extension on this patio and also to the grassed area to right of this patio, which brings the side wall to within 2meters (at tightest point) to the row of Conifers in my garden.

 

Questions;

1. Do I have to have carried out a Tree survey, CAD drawing of garden etc, AIA in order to have a Method Statement done? This seems like overkill for a domestic extension. Does the BS 5837 makes allowances for small extensions of this nature. It seems like a process for a large development is being inappropriately applied to a small house extension?

2. Given the existence of patio and retaining wall (for the last 40years or so) and fact the base of Oak tree lies approx 1.25 meters above patio level and the Tree Officers statement that he had no objection given proximity to the Oak tree, would you agree that Tree officer/council view the likely damage to Tree roots to be minimal as roots unlikely to exist under patio and have no expectation for an engineered foundation ? Does BS5837 allow for Arborculturlist to apply reasonable logic ?

3. Given the size of the Oak Tree, I believe that under the BS the RPA would capture the part of the extension that I intend to build on the grassed area to the right of my patio. This would be at 8 or 9 meters from Oak tree. Inclusion of building extension into Rpa would be max 6 to 8 sqM by my estimates. Is this material, it seems unreasonable to have to build piles at this part of the building extension, which is only a conservatory, in order protect a small fraction of the root system and what what is likely to be fibrous roots.

4. The conifers are of low quality, multi stemmed type, planted in last 10yrs only so I don’t think TPO applies to them. My plans are to build within 2 meters of the trees, what is likely rpa for a conifers ? Stem is approx 20cms max diameter. I don’t intend getting rid of any trees.

 

 

Appreciate your advice.

[Callum]

My advice would be to get an arboricultural consultant in who has experience with this sort of thing.

 

He/she can have a look at the plans and approvals and take it from there. Contacting the tree officer may also be a good idea to see what is expected- it may only be protective fencing etc.

 

I don't know if the planning dept can approve standard foundations at one time and then require a change to the design later. Although it depends on whether they are treating the change in design as a new application.

 

all the best

 

Callum

[WorcsWuss]

It sounds to me like all they want is a method statement explaining how any trees [probably principally TPO'd ones] will be protected during works, you don't say that they have asked for a full tree report to BS5837.

 

Phone your planning officer, their name will be on the permission, and ask them this question.

 

Condition [whatever number] requires that I provide you with a method statement confirming to BS5837. Can you confirm that this condition relates only to a method statement to cover the interaction of the building works with the protected trees?

 

If they say yes, then you just need to draft something up covering the following:

 

No excavation within root protection zone,

No storing materials or stockpiling within RPZ,

No parking on RPZ

Canopy to be protected by a cordoned off or fenced exclusion zone,

No building materials will be stored or mixed near to the protected trees or allowed onto bare soil nearby.

 

You can do that yourself, send it in to them and they will discharge the condition in wrting once they're satisfied.

 

If they do want a full tree report then you do need to get in a 'competent arborist'.

[Sullo]

Thanks for this, will follow up.

[benedmonds]

If they do want a full tree report then you do need to get in a 'competent arborist'.

 

I'd say you'd need a consultant or an arboriculturalist. An arborist is more of the cutting climber IMO. Both could be both of course, and it doesn't really matter.. But your average climbing arborist will not want to write an AIA or an AMS.

 

You should need a survey although councils vary with their requirements. You can't really write an Arb Method Statement unless you know what is there/how much protection is required. The Method Statement could be as simple as erect fence but you need to know where to put it, so you need the AIA first.

[PhilBeech]

You are over complicating matters. WorcsWuss has it spot on.

 

Give its only really one tree, if you need to collect all the measurement data for BS5837, you could do it yourself fairly easily.

[WorcsWuss]

Agreed to an extent Ben, but the la guidelines I checked only called for the above.

To be honest though, I doubt there's a practising tree surgeon on here who couldn't write a method statement for protecting an existing tree during construction. I could and I'm not even one of them!

[sloth]

Hi there, BS5837 is as relevant for small garden extension works as for larger scale developments. If you want to and can do it yourself go for it. The only way to find out what level of detail the LA want is to ask them.

I would expect they will want to see tree dimensions etc and its position on a map accurately in relation to the new construction. Maybe you could use the plans already submitted?

Obviously common sense is encouraged regarding root distributions, but learned knowledge can shed new light. For example fibrous roots are as important as thicker structural roots, they just serve the tree differently. Also roots are often in abundance under paved areas, as water in the soil condenses underneath the paving- things aren't always what common sense dictates, and your tree officer probably knows his onions...

I don't know where you are located, but if you need an arboriculturists report try searching the arborists directory on this site, or the arb association and institute of chartered foresters online.

 

Best of luck, Kevin

 

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[armybloke]

Mate if you PM me I can help out a bit. I am an ex-tree officer, worked in planning and run my own consultancy business. My website is at the foot of this note. Good luck trooper!

[benedmonds]

You are over complicating matters. WorcsWuss has it spot on.

 

Give its only really one tree, if you need to collect all the measurement data for BS5837, you could do it yourself fairly easily.

 

It's not complicated if the buildings are outside of the RPA and the Method statement would be: erect fence..

 

but you would need the AIA to confirm the RPA.

 

You could do the AIA yourself, its not rocket science, but you would have to have a copy of the (massively overpriced) BS..

 

The arborist, arboriculturalist comment was a bit flippant.

 

As to practising tree surgeons being able to write an arb method statement to protect a tree I would disagree. Many tree surgeons no very little about trees, hence the regular tree mutilation threads...

[Paul Jenks]

The arboricultural method statement forms part of the BS5837 report. Fewer and fewer of LA's now condition planning by giving outline planning approval subject to this or that report.

 

They now look for all the relevant boxes to be ticked and impact on trees is just one that an applicant may have to do in conjunction with the initial application.

 

In short, if a tree or trees have the potential to be affected by a proposed development and are to be retained, regardless of the current protection status, they are to be afforded a level of protection as outlined within the BS5837. The method statement outlines how this is to be acheived before, during and after construction activities.

 

It should give details of fencing in conjunction with detailed site plans. (This may be the minimum level required). It should show where materials, vehicles, cement washout, site welfare etc is positioned. What ground protection is required and where. Whether any activity is required within the RPA and how this is to be managed and supervised as well as how it is to be carried out.

 

It should form part of the whole construction protocol and all workers on the site should be informed and aware of it so that the health of the retained trees are not compromised in any way.