An approved arboricultural method statement (AMS) sets out how the trees on a site will be protected while work goes ahead. Planning conditions may require one to be submitted and approved before a specified stage. Once approved, it needs to be followed on site.
This guide explains how to arrange the tree works and protection measures: what to tell contractors, when work must pause for checks, and which records to keep.
What the approved AMS means for your site
An AMS sets out how work near retained trees will be carried out, the protection measures to be used and the order in which operations happen. Councils commonly require one as a planning condition, and the wording says what has to be submitted and approved before work starts. Hyndburn Borough Council's guidance for developers is a useful summary of what the document covers, from the tree surgery schedule and protection zones to trenching methods and contingency plans.
The AMS applies to everyone on site, not only the tree contractor. Make sure everyone receives it and understands the parts relevant to their work.
For example, an approved method statement for a large Norwich site requires a copy to be provided to all contractors and puts responsibility on the site manager to communicate the contents to whoever is doing the work. Groundworks, trenching, deliveries, compounds and landscaping can all breach it.
Where the site is a construction project covered by CDM 2015, tree works must be coordinated with the rest of the project. HSE sets out the dutyholders, including the principal contractor who plans, manages, monitors and coordinates the construction phase, and the client who makes arrangements for managing the project.
Turning the AMS into a contractor brief
The AMS is written for approval. The contractor needs a brief: what work is being done, in what order, to what protection standard, who checks it, and what happens if something changes.
| Part of the AMS | What to include in the brief |
|---|---|
| Schedule of tree works | Tree IDs and references, works before and after construction, and who marks the trees on site. |
| Tree protection plan | The fencing line and specification, drawn to scale, plus the ground protection locations. |
| Root protection areas | The protected area around each retained tree, what is excluded from it, and where access is allowed. |
| Sequence of operations | The order work happens in, including installation of protection before demolition or groundworks. |
| Supervision | Which operations need the project arboriculturist present, and who inspects the protection. |
| Changes to the work | Who is consulted before a variation, and how the document is updated. |
| Completion | What is inspected at the end and which records are handed over. |
Explain the terms in the brief for anyone new to site. A root protection area is the area around a retained tree that holds enough root volume for it to survive, and it is defined in BS 5837, the British Standard for trees in relation to design, demolition and construction. The tree protection plan is the scaled drawing showing where the barriers go.
A hold point is a stage where work stops until the required check and sign-off are complete.
Check the tree schedule before cutting starts
Tree work under an AMS is usually a short, defined list: remove these, prune those, leave the rest. Before the tree team starts, check that the trees have been identified on the ground by someone who can read the plan, that the listed works match the approved schedule, and that retained trees are marked and protected.
In the Norwich example, an engineer sets out the removal areas from the plan with GPS coordinates, then the project arboriculturist marks the stems with tree paint so the correct trees come out. The relevant issue is competence and the approved specification, not the name of the trade: the same document requires the work to be carried out by suitably qualified, insured arborists working to BS 3998, the standard for tree work.
Permissions need a separate check. The tree owner remains responsible for ensuring they are in place. A Tree Preservation Order generally requires consent unless an exception applies. Conservation-area work normally follows a six-week notice procedure, subject to exceptions. An AMS does not itself replace these controls; confirm the route and its interaction with planning permission before work.
Where consent covers specific works, the work on site must match what was approved. Anything extra goes back to the project arboriculturist and, where protection applies, to the local planning authority before a saw is started.
Hold points that keep the job on track
Agree who carries out each check and records the result before work moves to the next stage. Follow the hold points in your approved AMS; the table below shows examples.
| Stage | Hold point | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Before work starts | Protective fencing and ground protection installed, inspected and signed off by the project arboriculturist; toolbox talk delivered on the method statement; tree marking verified. | Signed inspection record, toolbox talk sheet. |
| Before felling or pruning | Ecology check for nesting birds and bat roost potential, as set out in the AMS and the site's ecological advice. | Ecologist's confirmation. |
| During work inside a root protection area | Arboriculturist supervision for the specified operations, such as no-dig surfacing, hand excavation or root pruning. | Supervision notes and photographs. |
| Any change to the works | Consult the project arboriculturist before varying the method, update the AMS, and obtain any consent first. | Written variation and consent. |
| After the works | Post-construction inspection of retained trees, remedial works scheduled, protection removed at the agreed stage. | Inspection report and remedial schedule. |
Check protection before machinery arrives. Once a machine has crossed an unprotected root protection area, compacted soil and damaged roots can be difficult to repair.
Ecology checks help establish how to meet wildlife duties; they are not just paperwork. All bats and their roosts are protected, and a licence from Natural England is normally needed to disturb them or damage a roost. Wild birds' nests are protected while in use or being built; additional protections apply to some species. On a site with trees, that check belongs before felling or pruning, not after.
Keep fencing and ground protection in place
Protection only works while it is intact and respected. Walk the line and check the obvious: the barrier is where the plan shows it, it will survive a wet week of deliveries, and the signage makes the boundary clear.
Then check what happens inside it. Materials storage, mixing, washing out and parking are the usual breaches. Ground protection is the other one: where a route has to pass near a retained tree, the AMS should specify what goes down and when it can come up. If a breach happens, record it, report it, and involve the project arboriculturist while the evidence is fresh. Everyone on site should know that reporting route, not only the site manager.
Who is responsible for what
Several people have a role in following the AMS. The client and site management issue and communicate the document and keep the records. The project arboriculturist advises, inspects and signs off the arboricultural checks. Ecology sits with the appointed ecologist. The local planning authority determines applications; the project team remains responsible for obtaining required approvals and complying with them. On a project covered by CDM 2015, a principal contractor, where required, coordinates the construction phase. Contractors also retain their own duties.
How much supervision is needed depends on the site and the wording of the condition. Where the condition is specific, follow it. Where it is not, take advice from the project arboriculturist before deciding none is needed.
Records to keep at handover
Keep records as the job runs rather than trying to assemble them at the end:
- Protection inspection records and toolbox talk sheets.
- Supervision notes and dated photographs of fencing and finished ground.
- Waste documentation for material removed from site.
- The post-construction inspection, with any remedial work listed and its completion recorded.
These give you a record of the work and any follow-up needed.
If the AMS came from a planning condition, that pack is also how you show compliance. Local planning authorities can ask to see records of the works and the protection measures. A written trail is easier to produce at the time than to reconstruct months later.
What to send for a tree works quote
Send the following with your enquiry:
- The approved AMS, tree protection plan and planning condition wording.
- The tree works schedule, with tree IDs.
- Ecological constraints and any seasonal restrictions.
- A site plan, access arrangements and key programme dates.
- The name of the person supervising the work.
If the works are phased around demolition, groundworks or handover, say so: the sequence in the AMS is what the price is built on. Agree before the quote who is supplying and installing the tree protection and who is arranging the ecological checks, as other trades may be responsible for these items.
We deliver tree works to approved method statements on commercial sites across North Yorkshire, County Durham and the North East, including phased removals, protection measures and the records that go with them. Describe the site and mention the approved documents in the contact form to arrange sending them and request a quote against the schedule, or start with our commercial tree surgery service.