Trees and planning
Staffordshire County Council’s Planning Team handles planning applications for minerals and waste development. For all other types of development, applications are made to the borough and district planning authorities.
What tree information must I submit with my planning application?
The Council requires a tree survey and plan to be submitted with any planning application where trees are within 10 metres of construction work. This is to ensure that trees on a development site are fully considered as part of the application. A tree protection plan must accompany this document as part of your planning application in order to prevent damage to trees during construction.
Tree survey and plan
We recommend that the tree survey and plan are carried out in accordance with British Standard 5837:2012 'Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction – recommendations'. Your planning application may not be registered if you fail to submit a tree survey and tree protection plan.
Tree protection plan
The tree protection plan (TPP) usually shows the position of protective fencing but may include other measures such as ground protection. Protective fencing is used to keep machinery away from the roots and branches and prevent the storage of materials too close to the trees.
A tree can be damaged in only a few minutes on a development site and the damage is often irreparable. This damage is usually caused accidentally, because of a failure to appreciate the vulnerability of trees, particularly their root systems. The protective fencing, or other protective measures, must be in place before any work begins on site, including site clearance or demolition, and remain in place until all construction has finished.
If the Council grants planning consent for a site that contains trees we will often make the tree protection plan and tree survey one of the approved documents of your planning permission. Failure to protect the trees on your site could mean you are in breach of your planning consent and we may take enforcement action.
Arboricultural method statement (AMS)
In some circumstances it may be possible to carry out development inside the construction exclusion zone (CEZ). This would require a level of detail over and above the normal content of a tree survey.
The most common detail required in an AMS is technical information relating to a 'no dig' solution for footways. Other examples could be specialist foundations requiring a trenchless construction or retaining walls. If a developer is aware of these types of scenarios, it is recommended that the AMS is submitted to support the full planning application.
Mitigation planting
On occasions there will be justification to remove trees for development. In this situation mitigation planting is expected. Where individual trees, outside of woods, are removed to accommodate development, proposals will usually need to show a net gain in replacement tree cover.
Whip planting (transplant 80-100 cm) will be accepted if the mitigation planting is for hedgerows or wooded belts. Whip planting will not be approved for replacing the loss of established trees, regardless of condition at planning application date.
Checklist
Does your scheme:
- Include a tree survey?
- Take the findings of the tree survey into account?
- Show existing and proposed ground levels?
- Show the position of protective fencing and specification of the barrier on the proposed layout plan?
- Show the locations of existing and proposed over and underground service runs?
- Avoid temporary or permanent construction activities which may injure trees?
- Include method statements for all work proposed near trees, or within the construction exclusion zone (CEZ)?
- Include detailed landscape proposals showing mitigation planting for trees lost through development?
Trees in conservation areas
Where works are likely to impact upon trees in a conservation area the District or Borough Council will require a minimum of six weeks notification of details. At this point, the LPA may place a tree preservation order (TPO) on the trees affected, therefore, early advice should be sought. Failure to do so may delay schemes.
District and borough councils within Staffordshire County:
