We Understand the Planning Process
At MACS we understand that the planning process nowadays has become more demanding that ever, with professional assessments being required for wildlife, ecology and trees. Trees on development sites are an emotive issue, but can be the source of frustration for developers, architects, planners and construction workers. Legislation often in the form of tree preservation orders or stringent planning conditions place greater constraints and restrictions on land than ever before. Demand for new housing is increasing and the pressure to use as much of the available land as possible often leads to conflict between the trees and the developer.
Expert Guidance for Developers
There is guidance available, in the form of British Standard 5837:2012 ‘Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction – Recommendations’. However, this is an extensive document that is not easy to interpret and is unique in as much as it is the only British Standard that can only be used by a qualified arboriculturist.
MACS can provide all the arboricultural guidance you will require for a development site, whether you are a private householder simply trying to extend your home or a major house builder developing a large site. Our expertise covers preliminary site surveys right through to site monitoring and post development management.
Clear, Accurate Detailed Tree Surveys
Our primary product is the arboricultural survey. This includes an assessment of the trees on your site, recording species, size, condition and value in the landscape. Survey results are presented as a formal report, including a tree constraints plan (a valuable tool in assessing what restrictions the trees may be placing on the land).
Advice you can Depend Upon
Using the preliminary survey, MACS can then help advise on design. With years of experience working with architects and planners, development schemes benefit from early advice that can influence final drawings and save having to re-draw architectural plans at great cost. We can also prepare an Arboricultural Impact Assessment which evaluates the effect that building a scheme will have. This includes consideration of the workings of a development site and has a built in method statement to guide the construction workers, helping to avoid problems further down the line, potentially saving time and money.