Here at Hellis Solutions, we carry out a range of different Tree Surveys. The type of report required determines the nature and extent of the data to be collected. Hence different types of tree report require different types of tree survey. The following information sets out the key data collected by different tree surveys.
Tree Surveys:
- 5837
- Subsidence
- Tree Preservation Order
- Valuation
- Condition
5837
The 5837 tree survey is undertaken in accordance with ‘British Standard 5837:2012 Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction’ and is intended to support a planning application. The key data to be collected includes the quality and value of the trees, an estimated remaining contribution in years and the root protection areas.
Subsidence
The subsidence tree survey is undertaken in accordance with National House Building Council Recommendations chapter 4.2 Building near trees. The key data to be collected is the tree species and the distance of the tree from the nearest built structure.
Tree Preservation Order
A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) tree survey is undertaken in accordance with ‘Tree Preservation Orders: A Guide to the Law and Good Practice’ and should assess the ‘amenity value‘ of trees in a structured and consistent way, taking into account the key criteria of visibility, individual impact, and wider impact.
Valuation
The purpose of a valuation tree survey is to assign a monetary sum to trees either individually or collectively. There are three widely used approaches to assign a monetary sum to trees namely: CAVAT, Helliwell and i-Tree. The three systems differ significantly in methodology and data requirements hence the data to be collected depends on the system being used.
Condition
The condition tree survey is primarily an assessment of the structure and physiology of one or more trees.
There are two types of condition tree survey, namely.
Comprehensive – all the trees within the agreed remit are visually inspected and individually recorded. The survey may also record additional information such as under canopy surfacing e.g., grass, tarmac, and grey infrastructure e.g., lamp column, bus stop.
Actionable Defect – this is also a visual inspection of all the trees within the agreed remit, but the report only records those trees which exhibit an actionable defect.
A Home Buyers or Home Owners report, sometimes referred to as an Insurance or Mortgage report is typically a report which uses a combination of data collected from a subsidence tree survey and a condition tree survey.