Tree inspection process

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is aware of its responsibilities to ensure the tree stock is correctly managed and has embarked on a Safety Inspection Programme. The programme has three aims:

• Identification of hazards
• Assessment of risk
• Identification of remedial action, where necessary

The borough has two methods of collating data on trees, MyTree© software system and more commonly the use of ‘What Three Words’ and Excel to record the position, condition, and requirements for remedial work of its tree stock.

Tree inspections, hazard assessments and recommendations for remedial work are carried out by either the Greenspaces Tree and Woodland Officers or an Arboricultural Consultant, who reports back to the Tree and Woodland Officers. It must be noted that Reigate & Banstead Borough Council only collect and record data on trees that have an associated defect that requires intervention. This is known as a negative survey. 

When a contractor is used, the survey work is only undertaken by persons who meet the requirements of competence set out later in this document.

It is the aim of the Tree and Woodland Officers to record actionable defects across all the borough’s tree stock in our greenspaces and bring the stock into an inspection regime.

When dealing with Ash Die back in areas of woodland such as Banstead Woods for example it would be difficult to record all trees accurately and individually. Where practically possible, trees will be entered on to the system as individuals or represented on the survey as a group (Where it has been determined as appropriate by the surveyor, the term group will be applied to when the trees form cohesive arboricultural features.).