Trees and New Developments: For All Working in The Built Environment
Trees and New Developments: For All Working in The Built Environment
Trees and New Developments: For All Working in The Built Environment
New building set back Mature canopies bring Mature canopies provide
to allow the successful multiple benefits, including greater rainwater
retention of existing instant character and richer interception and ambient
trees biodiversity temperature cooling
Xx
Xx
All newbuild to New cycle path designed All low rise buildings Sustainable urban
accomodate the root to enhance the future in this subsidence- drainage is integrated
protection area of growth of existing trees prone area use pile with all trees
existing trees foundations
New multi-storey Utility shared trench to
development designed maximise planting space
so residents have access
to resilient 25% cover
within 25 years
References National planning policies and guidance1 Using this guide
1 TDAG (2020). across the UK increasingly emphasise The benefits that any tree can provide often
Trees, Planning and
Development: A Guide the need for trees in new developments. depends on how well it is integrated into
for Delivery. Trees and At a time when pressure to provide new a development. The principles and actions
Design Action Group housing is high, it can seem daunting below will help developers and their
Trust: London.
Link to make space for trees while meeting design teams as well as Local Planning
viability and housing number targets. Authorities (LPAs)’s tree officers and
2 On climate Yet, by adhering to simple principles of planners to maximise the benefits of trees in
mitigation, see: Forestry
Commission, (2022). good practice from pre- to post-planning, developments. Actions are colour-coded to
Responding to the such an ambition can be met. This short indicate best timeframe for implementation:
climate emergency guide explains how. Before applying for planning consent.
with new trees and
woodlands: A guide to When applying for planning consent.
help local authorities and Benefits every project needs After planning consent has been secured.
landowning businesses Trees are crucial to addressing climate Anytime.
achieve net zero.
Link change 2 and biodiversity decline3, as well as
improving mental4 and physical well-being5 Principle 1: Understand
On climate adaptation for urban residents. Through their impact on No design work, however conceptual, should
see: Gill S. (2009) The
essential role of trees local distinctiveness6 and thermal comfort7, start until the tree constraints associated
– adapting to climate trees can have an unrivalled ability to with a development site are well understood.
change by managing make places more desirable to live in.
high temperatures and
reducing pressure on Trees also positively impact project Why?
drainage systems, viability by lowering local opposition to – Save time and money: the earlier tree-
in proceedings Trees development, enhancing the prospect of related constraints are integrated into
and Urban Climate
Adaptation: a sociable securing planning consent, and increasing a project, the greater the opportunity
agenda for living cities the speed of sales8 . to achieve good results.
19 November 2009.
Link
Fig. 1 Mitigation (ie new planting to replace existing trees) is necessary where tree loss is
3 The Woodland Trust. unavoidable, but it cannot be exclusively relied upon to secure good tree outcomes from
Why are trees important developments. Here’s why:
for biodiversity.
Link Lag time Likelihood of survival Cumulative impacts
4 Green Cities: Good
Health. Mental Health
& Function. University
of Washington, College
of the Environment.
>25yrs <60% >40%
Even with robust mitigation In some cases, up to 60% Within three years, 40%
Link approaches it can take at least of newly planted trees in of existing trees found on
25 years to match the benefits residential settings do not development sites in Bristol
5 Green Cities: Good provided by the existing trees. survive beyond five years.13 were removed.14
Health. Stress, Wellness
& Physiology. University
of Washington, College Even “Low Value” trees may secure good tree outcomes. Here’s why:
of the Environment. In BS5837:201211 , trees considered suitable for retention are divided into three main categories:
Link A “High Value”, B “Moderate Value” and C “Low Value”. While they typically represent a low level
of constraint on developments, there are circumstances where the retention of category C trees
6 See paragraph 1.1.2 is worth pursuing (see Fig. 2) because they are already established and may have the potential
in Trees, Planning and to become ‘Moderate’ or ‘High” value trees in the future.
Development: A Guide
for Delivery (2020).
Trees and Design Action
Group Trust: London. Fig. 2 A typical example where tree retention is preferable to replacement
Link
(based on a real project)
7 Ferranti, E.J.S et
al. (2021). First Steps Before development Proposed layout and Alternative approach,
in Urban Heat for Existing straight road with plantings post-development providing greater and
Built Environment healthy and established Curved road for traffic immediate benefits
Practitioners. Trees and category C trees, classified calming and planting. Curved road built with
Design Action Group as such due to their youth. Existing trees replaced with bedding, around the existing
Trust: London. small canopy trees. trees on site.
Link
measures have been Cottages preserved hedgerows, newly planted individual Existing vegetation to be retai
BS 5837 with root protection a
installed correctly. Pegasus Group, the landscape architect for trees and woodland creation. Existing vegetation to be remo
of planning control by 11 10
12
Other new trees
8 9
requiring operations or 7
9
11 10
12
Removed trees
Proposed marginal planting
5
32 31 33 1 4 Area of proposed wildflower m
V3 33 V5 Emorsgate EM1 basic genera
development of a site
2
31 32 35 35 4 16 Area of bulb planting within gr
5 16
1 3 5 17
16
14
constraints represented
LB
39 18 V14 Okehampton Redwood Litter
Broxap (BX17 4030) (or simila
36 V10
V11 6
by trees. V15 Grass play mound - to be max
38 V12
39 gradient, and max. 1.5m heig
28 28 27 4
27
37 29 Proposed timber play equipm
39 38 29
30 play range or similar) with gra
30 reinforcement matting to critic
to trees or woodlands.
following information:
21 - information on the space
- operational information (rule
- name and telephone numbe
21 operator of the facility with an
report any incident or damage
25
26 23 Boulders within attenuation ba
within a development
removed from LAP
B (21/10/2020 IHW) T2 removed
C (15/03/2021 IHW) Full architect, drainag
during the building Guidance document produced by TDAG, and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research and School of Engineering at the
52
Landscape Masterpla
process. University of Birmingham in 2022. Funded under Research England QR funding provided to the University 49
of Birmingham Clay Lane, High Wyc
and EPSRC Fellowship EP/R007365/1. This document should be cited as: Jaluzot, A., James, S., Ferranti, E.J.S. 2022. Client: Vistry
Tree removal plan. First Steps in Trees and New Developments. A Trees and Design Action 9
Group (TDAG) Guidance Document. UK: London. DRWG No: P19-0030_02
Drawn by : IHW Appro
Shows the trees to https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004109 Trees and Design Action Group www.tdag.org.uk 0 25m
Date: 13/09/2021
Scale: 1:500 @ A2
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Pegasus accepts no liability for any use of this document other than for its original purpose, or by the original client, or following Pegasus' express agreement to such use. T 01285641717 www.pegasusgroup.co.uk
proposed development The authors would like to thank Jeremy Barrell, Sharon Durdant-Hollamby, Luke Fay, Kieron Hart, Fiona Melville and
to take place. Vassili Papastavrou, for their time advising on the content of this publication. All links accurate at July 2022.