Tree surveys in Reading
If you're building near trees in Reading, Reading Borough Council will usually want a BS 5837 tree survey with the planning application. If you're worried about a tree's safety, or a lender or insurer has asked about one, you need a condition survey instead. We can introduce you to one vetted arboricultural consultant who covers your site in Reading.
Beatrice Vasey is a horticulturist, not an arboricultural consultancy. We introduce you to one vetted arboricultural consultant and are paid a referral fee by that business.
Protected trees and planning in Reading
- Planning decisions
- Planning applications in Reading are decided by Reading Borough Council. The council's validation checklist (2021) asks for tree survey information on all development sites with trees on or next to them, including street trees, except changes of use.
- Tree preservation orders
- Reading Borough Council has no online map, so its trees page asks you to email planning.naturalenvironment@reading.gov.uk.
- Conservation areas
- In a conservation area, give the council 6 weeks' written notice before working on a tree with a trunk over 75 mm across at 1.5 m. If the council doesn't respond or make an order, the work can go ahead within 2 years.
- Felling licences
- Felling more than 5 m³ of timber in a calendar quarter usually needs a felling licence, but trees in private gardens are exempt. Licences are issued by the Forestry Commission.
- Local note
- Reading adopted a Tree Strategy in March 2021 and reassessed tree canopy cover ward by ward in 2023.
Tree survey types and costs
For a planning application in Reading, start with the BS 5837 survey and commission it before the layout is fixed, so the design can work around the trees worth keeping.
| Survey | When you need it | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| BS 5837 tree survey | Before the layout is designed | About £300 to £760 for a small domestic site |
| Arboricultural impact assessment (AIA) | With the planning application, once the layout is drawn | About £500 to £1,000 together with the survey |
| Arboricultural method statement and tree protection plan | With the application, or to discharge a planning condition | About £250 to £500 for a small extension |
| Tree condition or safety survey | Any time | About £150 to £350 for a basic inspection; £350 to £900 for a detailed report on several trees |
| Mortgage or insurance tree report | When a lender or insurer asks for one | From about £300 plus VAT |
Typical prices from published cost guides. Your consultant quotes for your site.
Your arboricultural consultant in Reading
We pass each Reading enquiry to one vetted arboricultural consultant who covers your site. You get an email naming them before your details are shared, and they quote you directly. We are paid a referral fee by that business, as set out in how our partner network works.
We also arrange tree surveys in Oxford, London and Milton Keynes.
In Reading we can also introduce you to specialists for Japanese knotweed treatment, bat surveys, ecological surveys, tree surgery and landscaping, all listed on our Reading page.
Tree survey questions in Reading
Do I need a tree survey for a planning application in Reading?
Usually, if there are trees on or near the site. The council's validation checklist (2021) asks for tree survey information on all development sites with trees on or next to them, including street trees, except changes of use.
How do I find out if a tree has a TPO in Reading?
Reading Borough Council has no online map, so its trees page asks you to email planning.naturalenvironment@reading.gov.uk.
Can I cut down a tree in my garden in Reading?
Only if it isn't protected. Cutting down, topping, lopping, uprooting or wilfully damaging a protected tree, including its roots, needs the council's consent. Removing a dead tree needs 5 working days' written notice first. Breaking the rules can mean an unlimited fine and a duty to plant a replacement. In a conservation area, give the council 6 weeks' written notice before working on a tree with a trunk over 75 mm across at 1.5 m. If the council doesn't respond or make an order, the work can go ahead within 2 years.
Will I need other surveys for planning in Reading?
Possibly. Trees with cavities, cracks or loose bark can hold roosting bats, so felling or heavy pruning may need a bat survey in Reading, and larger sites often need an ecological survey in Reading as well.
Get a tree survey quote in Reading
Tell us about the site and the trees. Beatrice reads every enquiry.