• Subsidence Risk Assessment
• Insurance Reports
• Pre-purchase and Mortgage reports
• High Hedges
• Tree Preservation Orders
• Tree Valuation
Occasionally, trees can cause problems to built structures or are located in such a position that damage or harm is a likely outcome.
Through a combination of our experience, investigation equipment and working with external partners such as Plant Biologists, Soil Laboratories and Structural Engineers, we are qualified and experienced in dealing with and managing trees growing close to structures in line with current Laws, Legislation and current Best Practice.
The Laws associated with trees can be complex and require subtle interpretation. We have a wide experience in dealing with trees and potential liabilities resulting from their growth or failure. This can range from dealing with Trees in the planning system – Planning Applications, Tree Preservation Orders, Conservation Areas or High Hedge claims. Through to trees which are considered a current or foreseeable nuisance or trees that are implicated in damage claims. We are here to offer balanced, independent advice and are happy to help all parties or act jointly if required.
TREES, STRUCTURES AND THE LAW
We are here to help with your tree-related problems. You may have concerns over a planning application nearby to your tree or may have received a TPO (Tree Preservation Order), or your trees happen to be located within a Conservation Area.
Alternatively, you may have questions regarding trees located close to boundaries or have a tree suspected of causing damage. We can help and provide advice on the most suitable route.
There are extensive laws which control the status and protection of trees and woodlands to ensure their longevity and care. Most of these are statutory and dealt with by your Local Authority or the Forestry Commission.
Barnes Associates Ltd are well informed about all regulations relating to the protection of trees and we are here to help inform and guide all our clients upon the most appropriate course of action.
Occasionally living close to a tree can result in concern of perceived risk or damage resulting from or a result of the presence of trees.
We offer a range of specialist tree assessments and reports to deal with this and help allay fears, enable you to manage the situation or confirm that damage is either foreseeable or current damage is the result of trees.
We are members of the Member of the subsidence forum.
SUBSIDENCE RISK, INSURANCE & HOMEBUYERS REPORTS
“Is that tree going to damage your home? This can be a last-minute request from a lender when organising a mortgage or your broker when arranging or renewing Insurance cover.”
Occasionally during the process of renewing Property Insurance or when buying a new property, trees can be suspected of causing harm and an assessment of risk of tree involvement can be required.
Our Pre-Purchase and Insurance Tree Reports aim to provide you with the information you need to make what is, for most of us, one of the more significant decisions we are asked to make. This requires an assessment of the site conditions, the dwelling’s age and construction, and an assessment of nearby trees and vegetation to identify the risk of harm from indirect damage (subsidence) or the potential for direct damage (movement/cracking) in lightweight structures.
We have advanced specialist training in this area (not all surveyors have); refer to the resources page for more details.
We are listed on www.localsurveyorsdirect.co.uk and we members of the subsidence forum
“Ian – thank you very much for the fast turn around and detailed report”
HOMEBUYER LEEDS
(Recent Mortgage and insurance report)
TREE DAMAGE REPORTS
Where damage has occurred to structures or buildings resulting from the growth of trees is suspected, we can provide a range of detailed instrument supported assessments to better understand the potential for trees being involved.
Damage can result from both Direct Damage resulting from tree growth, abrasion and Impact or Indirect damage, where trees change to the soil supporting characteristics is suspected as a result of the growth of trees and vegetation, we can provide detailed instrument supported assessments to better understand the potential for trees being related to damage. Once confirmed, we can provide a management report including recommendations. We will visit the site(s) and undertake a ground-based visual assessment of the tree(s) close to the dwelling and built structures.
We can include an assessment of potential problematic neighbouring trees close to the boundary which may be affecting your site as appropriate, from your site and/or the public domain.
Tree Direct Damage
Tree roots and drains
TREE FAILURE REPORTS
Unfortunately, trees do occasional fail either in part or their entirety; thankfully, this normally occurs without consequence. However, when failure occurs, there is often a desire to understand why this has occurred and whether this is likely to affect other trees in the same area. Was the issue foreseeable and is there any liability likely to result.
We benefit from several technologies that help inform the situation and help you better understand why failure occurred and if it is liable to affect other trees in the same area.
TREES AND THE LAW
We are here to help with your tree-related problems. You may have concerns over a planning application nearby to your tree or may have received a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) or your trees happen to be located within a Conservation Area.
Alternatively, you may have questions regarding trees located close to boundaries or have a tree suspected of causing damage. We can help and provide advice on the most suitable route.
There are extensive laws which control the status and protection of trees and woodlands to ensure their longevity and care. Most of these are statutory and dealt with by your Local Authority or the Forestry Commission.
Barnes Associates Ltd are well informed with all regulations relating to the protection of trees and we are here to help inform and guide all our clients upon the most appropriate course of action.
TREE PRESERVATION ORDER (TPO)
A Tree Preservation Order is an order made by a local planning authority to protect specific Trees, Groups, Areas of trees or Woodlands in the interests of amenity. In general terms, an Order prohibits the cutting down, topping, lopping, uprooting, wilful damage and wilful destruction of trees without the local planning authority’s written consent.
We have a great deal of experience dealing with TPO’s for tree owners. Applications for work need to be framed in terms of current best practice and need to be reasonable. Where orders have been made incorrectly, a flawed TPO will need to be objected to in line with the Legislation.
Alternatively, we have experience assessing tree work applications and identifying trees worthy of protection on behalf of local planning authorities and can be called upon to undertake reviews of existing orders as outlined in Legislation.
HIGH HEDGE SURVEY
Occasionally, boundary hedges can get out of control, and for some species, this means they can attain large dimensions, which has the potential to blight the enjoyment of both gardens and properties.
Thankfully, there is the possibility of applying for an order to enforce management in certain situations through the High Hedge Act (2004). We are experienced in dealing with claims and management of hedges both on sites which are experiencing problems from neighbouring hedges and in situations where spurious claims are made against reasonably located and managed hedges.
Please feel free to contact us and discuss your problems in relation to hedges.
VALUATION TREE SURVEY
“How much is your tree worth, this may help consider why you should invest in it.”
The valuation of trees may call upon a number of different valuation methods, and so the question “What is a tree worth?” needs to be answered, particularly where trees can be damaged or removed unwantedly, there can be a need to seek compensation or to understand what the value of a tree or trees is in monetary terms prior to removal.
Against this background, a number of alternative approaches have been advocated for the valuation of trees, and are in use in the UK and we have training and experience in all of the following:
- The, Helliwell system of tree and woodland valuation.
- The, Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers CTLA)
- The Capital asset value for amenity trees (CAVAT)