Arboricultural Method Statements and Tree Protection Plans that connect the approved design with practical site arrangements.
ACP helps project teams define how retained trees will be protected through the relevant works. Bring together the method, drawing, sequence and responsibilities before contractors need to act on them.
The plan and the method need to agree.Show the protected space, the work areas and when each action must happen.An illustrative barrier separates the retained-tree zone from works. Brief, install, inspect and control the release of protection.
Make the requirement clear
Which part of tree protection needs resolving?
A planning condition, construction tender or design change can each trigger the need for more detail. Send the exact request and the relevant drawings so the scope addresses the correct stage.
01 / PLANNING CONDITION
Prepare the required details
Review the condition and approved scheme. Identify the method statement, protection drawing and supporting information needed for the proposed submission.
An Arboricultural Method Statement and Tree Protection Plan should work together. Each needs consistent tree references, drawing revisions and assumptions about the works.
Document / input
Its purpose
What needs coordination
Arboricultural Method Statement — AMS
Explain the relevant sequence, working methods and arrangements for protecting retained trees.
The construction method, responsibilities, supervision points and procedure for changes.
Tree Protection Plan — TPP
Show the relevant protection measures and their relationship to the works.
Retained trees, protection lines, working areas, access and any specified ground protection.
Survey and impact assessment
Provide the tree baseline and the assessed development effects.
Consistent tree references, retained or removed trees and the design that has been assessed.
Contractor and design information
Explain how the development will actually be carried out.
The programme, plant, access, construction space, engineering details and site responsibilities.
Generic wording cannot resolve a constrained site. We identify the relevant interfaces and the construction information needed to develop usable arboricultural details.
Protection barriers and access
Coordinate the proposed barrier alignment with the retained trees, working area and access route. Identify the relevant specification and who is responsible for installation and checks.
Where the position changes between phases, the drawing and method need to show how that change is controlled.
Ground protection and loading
Define where the proposed activity needs further protection detail. Obtain the relevant ground, loading and construction information before specifying the arrangement.
A generic mat or board description is not enough to establish suitability for every use.
Demolition, excavation and services
Review the specific operations close to retained trees. Coordinate the method with engineering and contractor information, including access and temporary works.
Identify any investigation, specialist supervision or approval needed before the relevant operation proceeds.
Compounds and site behaviour
Agree practical locations for storage, spoil and other temporary activity. Make protected areas and restrictions clear to those managing the site.
The method should address how the team will maintain the arrangements through changing work stages.
A sequence people can follow
Build the protection into the programme.
The method should identify the right checkpoints for the actual works. We agree what happens, who is involved and what evidence will record the stage.
01 / Review and brief before relevant worksConfirm the current documents, condition status and site responsibilities. Discuss protection and working arrangements with the people who will implement them.
02 / Establish the agreed safeguardsSet out installation and checking of the required protection before the operations it safeguards. Resolve any enabling-work or phased-access requirement in the method.
03 / Follow the specified work stagesUse the agreed sequence and any supervision or inspection points. Keep records of checks and refer proposed deviations for review before changing the arrangement.
04 / Coordinate completion and landscapingDefine when protection may be altered or removed and what controls apply to finishing works. Close out the agreed records and outstanding actions.
Responsibilities that are easy to follow
Keep the plan usable on site.
The documents should identify interfaces rather than leave the contractor to infer them. Agree the technical responsibilities and the authority or project procedures that apply.
Coordination point
What the project team should have clear
Document control
Which drawing and method revisions are current, and how revised information reaches the site team.
Installation and routine checks
Who carries out the relevant tasks, who checks them and where the records are kept.
Specialist involvement
Which activities require arboricultural attendance, engineering input or another agreed review.
Changes or unexpected conditions
Who is notified, what needs review and how the relevant work is held or adjusted pending a decision.
Final records
Which inspection, supervision or completion information is included in the agreed scope.
Clear documents and a defined handover
What the protection package can include.
We set out the document preparation, drawings and site support in the quotation. The level of detail follows the assessed impacts, condition and construction requirements.
A site-specific AMSThe agreed work sequence, relevant methods and arboricultural protection arrangements.
A coordinated TPPProtection measures related to the current layout, tree references and working areas.
A responsibility scheduleThe relevant roles, communication routes and procedures for managing changes.
Inspection and supervision pointsThe specified stages, attendance or record requirements included in the commission.
A documented information basisThe survey, assessment, condition and drawing revisions used to prepare the package.
A clear handover and next stepAny contractor briefing, authority response, revision or site attendance included in the fee.
Start with the condition and the construction brief.
The fee depends on the tree constraints, the work interfaces and the detail already available. We distinguish preparation of documents from ongoing site attendance.
Provide the approved informationSend the permission, full condition, approved drawings and relevant survey or AIA. Identify any subsequent design changes.
Explain the planned constructionShare the programme, access, compound and method information available. We identify the details needed from the designer or contractor.
Agree the support stagesState whether the brief includes a site visit, pre-start meeting, supervision, monitoring records or condition responses. These should not be assumed within a document-only fee.
England · your site and authority
Advice shaped around the project.
Discuss projects in Greater London, the South East, East of England and the Midlands, or elsewhere in England. Share the site postcode and council request so we can confirm the scope, survey arrangements and availability.
Local requirements, current drawings
We identify the planning authority and review its actual request. A county name does not establish which documents or conditions apply to a site.
One coordinated project brief
Bring the architect’s layout, engineering information and relevant ecology work together. Agree the assessment boundaries, access and responsibilities before commissioning.
Connected evidence
The right document for the next decision.
Survey, assessment and construction protection can be commissioned together or in defined stages. Choose the part of the brief you need.
01 / NEXT PROJECT STAGE
BS5837 tree surveys
Establish the baseline and constraints for design.
Send the condition, current drawings and any existing tree documents. We can then identify the package and project inputs needed.
01What is an Arboricultural Method Statement?
It sets out the relevant working methods, sequence and responsibilities for protecting retained trees through development. It should reflect the actual site and proposed operations.
02What is a Tree Protection Plan?
It is the drawing that shows the relevant protection measures in relation to the trees and works. It should agree with the method statement and current construction arrangement.
03Are an AMS and a TPP always needed together?
The authority’s requirement and the works determine the package. They are often coordinated because the drawing and written methods answer related questions. We confirm the deliverables in the quotation.
04Can you discharge our tree planning condition?
We can prepare the agreed arboricultural information and supporting response for a condition submission. The authority decides whether the condition is discharged, and any approval timing must be observed.
05Do you install the fencing or carry out the building work?
The consultancy scope concerns assessment, documents and any agreed site support. Installation and construction are separately defined contractor responsibilities unless expressly included.
06Is site supervision included?
Only where specified. We can define relevant attendance, inspection points and reporting in the quotation so the project team knows what support has been commissioned.
07What if the contractor needs to change access or storage?
Refer the proposed change for review against the current tree protection and assessed design. Update the documents and obtain any required agreement before relying on the revised arrangement.
08Can you use an existing AMS or protection plan?
We can review it against the current condition, design and intended methods. The quotation can then identify the revisions, further information or site checks needed.
Let’s define the right scope
Tell us where your project is heading.
Start with your email and a short project outline. We will clarify the information needed and prepare a site-specific quotation.
Share the essentials
Your site, proposed works and the tree information requested.
We review the available evidence
A consultant can request the current layout, tree reports and council comments.
Receive a defined scope and fee
Understand the deliverables, programme and any additional work.
Have drawings, a tree report or a planning condition? Submit the enquiry first. We can then request the relevant files together, so your brief stays clear.
Request an arboricultural quotation
A clear starting point.
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Technical sources & further reading
Sources checked on 27 October 2026. BSI lists BS 5837:2012 as current and under review. Local authority examples illustrate the document types; the actual authority’s current requirements must be checked for your site.
