It is an offence to cut down, lop, uproot, top, wilfully damage or destroy a protected tree without authorisation. Trees can be protected under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town and Country Planning (Trees) Regulations 1999. Trees are protected when they are the subject of Tree Preservation Orders (T.P.O) or within Conservation Areas, subject to certain exemptions. Retention and protection of trees on development sites is also secured through the use of planning conditions.

On a construction site all trees with a Tree Preservation Orders need to be managed in accordance with BS5837 2012 (Trees in relation to construction); failure to comply with these orders can be a costly affair as many parties have discovered. There are two offences which apply equally to trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders and those within Conservation Areas and both carry very hefty fines.

The problem

Developers and building contractors are often completely unaware that ‘compaction of soils within the Root Protection Area (RPA)’ constitutes wilful damage to the tree. When vehicular or pedestrian access within the RPA is necessary, either for the construction operation or final site access, the effects of this activity must be addressed and the ground must be protected. When tracked or wheeled traffic movements are involved, the ground protection system should be designed by an engineer and take into account the loading involved.

The solution

Cellweb® TRP is the market leader in the United Kingdom and Ireland for tree root protection. Cellweb® TRP cellular confinement system protects tree roots from the damaging effects of compaction and desiccation, while creating a stable, load bearing surface for vehicular traffic. Cellweb® TRP complies with BS 5837:2012 and APN 12. It provides a no-dig solution, is tried and tested having been used successfully since 1998. It is the only tree root protection system which has been independently tested and it is the only tree root protection system which is guaranteed for 20 years.

Find out more about Cellweb® TRP click – /product/cellweb-tree-root-protection