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Planning assessment

Arboricultural Impact Assessment for Planning

The planning-stage assessment that explains how the proposed development affects retained trees and how those effects will be addressed.

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What this document is for

Arboricultural Impact Assessment for planning projects

An Arboricultural Impact Assessment is where the survey information is tested against the actual proposal. It should identify tree removals, pruning, RPA interactions, crown relationships and construction issues that matter to planning.

A good AIA is specific. It does not simply say that the project is acceptable; it shows why, with the live drawing and the mitigation that makes the conclusion credible.

Send the latest proposal and survey information. If the design is still moving, tell us before the assessment is finalised so the report does not end up describing a superseded scheme.

What you receive

The arboricultural impact assessment output is matched to the project, but the core deliverables normally include the items below. If the council has supplied its own wording, that request is reviewed first so the proposal is built around the live requirement.

Assessment of retained and removed trees
RPA and crown conflicts reviewed
Effects of buildings, access and surfacing
Mitigation recommendations
Clear planning conclusions
Links to AMS/TPP where required

Technical detail

What makes the work useful to planning and design teams.

A good arboricultural impact assessment is not produced for length alone. The aim is not to produce a long report for its own sake. The information should answer the project question clearly and remain consistent with the drawings being used.

Assess the live scheme

The AIA must relate to the current drawing revision.

Explain removals clearly

Tree loss should be described in the context of tree quality and the proposal.

Look beyond the footprint

Access, drainage, services and working space can create impacts too.

Connect mitigation to delivery

Where impacts are manageable, the AIA should show how later controls will deal with them.

Before the document is issued

Quality control that keeps the information usable.

Before issue, the AIA should be checked against the current footprint, access, surfacing, levels, drainage, services and working space where they are relevant.

The assessment should distinguish between genuine arboricultural conflicts and issues that can be resolved through design or construction detail.

Finally, the document should make the next decision obvious. If another BS5837 stage is needed, it should be clear why and when. If the current document completes the immediate requirement, the client should not be pushed into commissioning extra work simply because it exists on a service list.

Where it fits in the BS5837 sequence

Survey first. Then use the next document only when the project is ready for it.

Most development projects near trees follow a recognisable sequence: establish the tree resource, map the constraints, assess the actual proposal, then set out the protection and construction methods needed to deliver it. Not every small project needs every document, and not every document should be commissioned at the same time.

If you are still designing, early survey and constraints information may be the most valuable spend. If you already have a stable layout, the impact assessment becomes more relevant. If planning permission is in place, the focus often moves to AMS, TPP and supervision. The quote should reflect the stage you are actually at.

01SurveyRecord the trees and establish the evidence base.
02ConstraintsMap crowns and RPAs for design.
03AssessmentTest the live proposal against the tree resource.
04Construction detailSet out protection, methods and supervision.

Common project situations

When clients normally ask for Arboricultural Impact Assessment.

If your situation is not listed, send the actual request. The arboricultural impact assessment should be matched to the site and planning stage. The site and planning stage are more important than matching a generic example.

Planning submission needs tree impact evidence

Layout sits close to RPAs

Some trees are proposed for removal

Tree officer asks how retained trees will be protected

How this helps the people on the project

Technical detail is only useful when somebody can act on it.

The same document is read differently by the applicant, architect, planning officer and contractor. Good arboricultural work makes the decision or next action clear to each of them.

Applicant

You should know what has been asked for, what the fixed-fee scope includes and whether another BS5837 stage is likely to follow. The service should remove uncertainty rather than replace it with more terminology.

Architect

The drawing references and tree information need to be coordinated so the design can respond to real constraints and later revisions can be checked without rebuilding the evidence base from scratch.

Planning team

The Local Planning Authority needs a clear line from tree quality and constraints to the proposed development, mitigation and construction controls. Consistency across the documents matters as much as volume.

Contractor

Where the project reaches site, protection and method information needs to translate into fencing, access, excavation, storage and supervision instructions that can actually be followed.

Information that speeds up the quote

Show us the project as it exists today.

For a arboricultural impact assessment, send the site address, current architectural drawing, topographical survey if available, and the exact wording from the council, tree officer, Building Control or project consultant. Include any earlier tree survey or report too. Existing information may still be useful and should be checked before repeat work is recommended.

If there is a submission date, condition-discharge deadline or construction start date, include that at the beginning. Programme can affect what needs to happen first.

Questions

Arboricultural Impact Assessment FAQs

These are general planning answers. Your council condition or validation request may be more specific.

Do I need an AIA for every survey?

No. It is normally needed once there is a proposal to assess.

Can the AIA recommend design changes?

Yes, where changes would materially reduce tree impacts.

Does it include a TPP?

It can be coordinated with one, but the exact deliverables depend on scope.

What if the layout changes?

The impact assessment should be reviewed against the revised layout.

Can you work with my architect?

Yes. Coordination is often the quickest way to resolve tree-design conflicts.

Arboricultural Impact Assessment · Planning Support

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