Tree Surveys & BS5837 Reports in City of London
Planning a development near trees in City of London? Here's when you'll need a BS5837 tree survey, how Tree Preservation Orders and conservation areas affect you locally, and the live tree-related planning activity PlanWatch is tracking across City of London.
Live tree-planning activity in City of London
From the latest planning data PlanWatch holds (to 18 May 2026). Figures are the records we've collected, not a live council register.
Types of tree application in City of London
Recent tree-related applications in City of London
See everything near a specific postcode on the PlanWatch City of London planning page.
Where tree applications cluster in City of London
These postcode areas in City of London have seen the most tree-related planning activity in the data PlanWatch holds — a useful signal of where mature trees and tree constraints are concentrated locally.
Do you need a tree survey in City of London?
If your project could affect a tree — one on your land, on a neighbour's, or on the street — within roughly its own height of the works, City of London will usually expect a BS5837 tree survey before it will validate the application. It's near-certain where a tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area — check whether a tree is protected before you plan any works.
Requirements are set locally, so the exact trigger varies between authorities. Like every English planning authority, City of London works from a local validation checklist, and where trees are affected an application submitted without the arboricultural information is usually invalidated — held before it's even assessed — rather than refused. That's a delay you avoid by getting the survey done up front.
What the survey leads to
The survey grades each tree A–U and calculates its root protection area — the ground you must keep clear. It then feeds an Arboricultural Impact Assessment setting out what your design means for the trees. If City of London grants permission, you'll commonly need a Tree Protection Plan and an Arboricultural Method Statement approved to discharge a pre-commencement condition before any work starts on site. Budget for it early — see typical tree survey costs.
Getting it right in City of London
Use a suitably qualified arboriculturist who knows City of London's expectations, and check live planning activity near your address on the PlanWatch City of London page before you submit. For the full picture, start with our complete guide to tree surveys, or compare requirements in nearby areas such as Leeds, Manchester and Bristol.
Tree survey FAQs for City of London
Do I need a tree survey for a project in City of London?
If there's a tree on or near your site that the works could affect — especially a protected tree — City of London will generally expect a BS5837 survey to validate the application. If no trees are within influencing distance, you won't.
How do I check if a tree in City of London has a TPO?
Tree Preservation Orders are held by City of London, not on a national map. Use our TPO checker to reach the right register, and confirm a specific tree with the council's tree officer.
What happens if I submit without one?
Where trees are affected, the application is typically invalidated — the clock doesn't start and nothing is assessed until you supply the missing survey. Submitting it up front keeps your application moving.
Get a tree survey in City of London
Matched with a qualified arboricultural consultant covering City of London.
Find a Tree Surveyor