BS 5837 Arboricultural Method Statement
For planning permission, Arbor Cultural will handle every aspect of your BS 5837 Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS). Working in the south east, we meet the
needs of:
What is an Arboricultural Method Statement?
Simply, it describes precisely how construction work needs to be done on or near a site with trees, crucially, without harming them. In other words, a type of arboricultural Things to Do or Must-Do list for the contractors to prevent accidental tree damage. A blueprint, as it were.
The Method Statement is for now and the future: it refers equally to the planned, upcoming
construction phase and the ongoing management of the trees after completion.
Unless otherwise specified in the tree report, all recommendations in the Statement must adhere to the relevant British Standard BS 3998 Tree Work – Recommendations (2010). Otherwise, the council will expect to see ultra-clear reasoning as to why the recommended actions should deviate from the standard.
To the point, it’s a critically important document. Your local authority may need it when the proposals have been finalised – and before they discharge planning conditions.
How We Can Help
With a Method Statement, for super-smooth mitigation measures, you need a specialist with practical knowledge – which, not to put too fine a point on it – is us.
Our experience and expertise are considerably to your advantage. And, with our know-how, cliché aside, we really do see the bigger picture.
In some ways, the process is a balancing act. There may even be conflicting interests, which we can manage for you: Arbor Cultural will consider budgetary constraints and the practical needs of the construction team, all while safeguarding important trees.
The team will always undertake a tree condition assessment as part of any BS5837 tree survey to identify any defects of concerns.
- Temporary Tree Protection Fencing
- Temporary Trunk Protection Measures
- Temporary Ground Protection Measures
- Construction Exclusion Zones
- Site Access
- Contractors Parking
- Temporary Site Huts and Facilities
- Temporary Storage Space
- Demolition
- Hard Surfaces within the RPA (temporary and permanent)
- Construction within the RPA of retained trees
- Alternative Foundation Designs
- Remedial tree work
- Site responsibilities for tree
- Arboricultural Supervision (Clerk of Works Duties)
- Replacement planting
- Treatments around retained trees post-development
A Word on Tree Planting
Should your project require new trees to replace those contractors may have removed, Arbor Cultural’s expertise on your trees means that we’re well and truly on the case. There can be no half-measures here. Young saplings must have the correct conditions to grow and thrive for generations to come.
Tree planting must follow the British Standard BS 8545 Young Trees: From Nursery to Independence in the Landscape (2014) regulations. We will support our recommendations with numerous other BS guidelines for the best possible long-standing outcomes.
Our Approach
Arbor Cultural recognises the historical heritage value of trees, but we’re aware that modern life is starting to erase them. Or, without intervention, it may well do. Either trees become unsafe or, incredibly, are deemed to get in the way. In a few short hours, they’re gone. This must not happen.
They bring substantial environmental and social benefits. Trees protect us, so we must protect them. Our consultants will never recommend tree work that’s not one hundred per cent crucial.
If you need an Arboricultural Method Statement to support your planning application or any other purpose, contact us.