Commercial tree surgery and site clearance for developers, contractors and councils
ARB Approved site clearance, Section 278 enabling works, woodland management and commercial tree surgery, delivered to your programme.
Built for sites with a programme to keep
When a development, highway scheme or public space depends on tree work being done properly and on time, you need a contractor who understands how commercial sites run. Treecology has worked for developers, groundworkers, main contractors, councils and estates for over 20 years.
We are an ARB Approved Contractor, every job is carried out to British Standard BS3998:2010, and we turn up with our own machinery, our own trained crews and the paperwork your site team needs before we start. Because we are family run, the person who prices your job is usually the person who manages it on site.
What we do for commercial clients
Site clearance contractors for development
Before groundworks can begin, the land needs to be clear. As experienced site clearance contractors, we carry out land and vegetation clearance, removing trees, scrub, hedgerow and overgrown vegetation from development sites of all sizes, from small infill plots to large greenfield sites, and process the arisings on site with our whole tree chipper and excavator.
Where trees are being retained, we work to your tree protection plan and arboricultural method statement, so the trees that are staying are protected from day one. We can also work with your ecologist on timing and pre-clearance checks, for example around the bird nesting season, or provide a qualified ecologist ourselves.
Once the trees are down, we remove the stumps using either our stump grinders or root raking, then finish with ground preparation, so the site is handed back ready for groundworks.
Tree protection fencing
Retained trees need protecting before any machinery arrives on site. We supply and install tree protection fencing as specified on your Tree Protection Plan (TPP), so the retained trees and their root protection areas are well protected for the duration of your site work.
Because the same team handles your clearance and your fencing, the protection goes in at the right point in the programme, without waiting for a separate contractor.
Section 278 (S278) works and new road access
Most new housing and commercial developments need a new or improved access onto the existing public road. That work is agreed with the local highway authority under Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980, and before the new junction, footway or visibility splay can be built, the trees and vegetation in the way have to come out. On site this is often called punching through onto the road.
We carry out the tree and vegetation side of these enabling works:
- Felling and removing trees and hedgerow on the line of the new access
- Clearing visibility splays so drivers have the sightlines the highway authority requires
- Cutting back verges and boundaries for new footways, crossings and bus stops
- Chipping and removing all arisings, leaving the area ready for the highways contractor
We can arrange the traffic management for you through our specialist traffic management partner, and we plan our work around your road space booking, so the highway works can start on the day they are meant to.
Forestry and woodland management
For estates, landowners and developers with woodland on site, we carry out practical forestry work, including thinning, selective and clear felling, ride and boundary clearance, coppicing, storm damage clearance and the removal of diseased trees such as those affected by ash dieback. Before any felling starts, we will check whether a Forestry Commission felling licence is needed. If one is, we can arrange it on your behalf and obtain the necessary permissions before work begins.
If you need a woodland survey or a long-term management plan first, our sister consultancy, EnviroArb Solutions, can provide it.
Commercial tree surgery and tree services
We look after trees for a wide range of organisations, including business parks, schools, care homes, housing associations, managing agents, churches and sports clubs. That includes crown reductions, crown lifting over car parks and footpaths, deadwood removal, tree surveys, hedge reduction and felling, carried out as one-off jobs or as a planned maintenance programme that keeps your site safe and tidy all year round.
When a tree comes down or becomes dangerous, for example after a storm, we also offer an emergency call-out service to make the site safe quickly.
Tree work for councils
We work with district and parish councils and other public bodies on trees in parks, open spaces, cemeteries, verges and council-owned land. Whether it is a single dangerous tree reported by a resident or a full schedule of works following a tree survey, we price clearly and work safely in busy public spaces.
We provide the documentation procurement teams ask for, including risk assessments and method statements, insurance certificates and evidence of our ARB Approved Contractor status.
Also available
Oak processionary moth: found OPM on your site? Our team carries out nest removal and treatment. See our Oak Processionary Moth page.
Machine and plant hire
Need a machine and operator for your own project? Our MEWP (cherry picker), digger and whole tree chipper are available to hire. See our Machine & Plant Hire page.
Why commercial clients work with us
- ARB Approved Contractor, an accreditation held by fewer than 350 of over 8,000 UK tree surgery companies
- All tree work carried out to BS3998 tree work recommendations
- Fully insured, with public and employers' liability insurance up to £10 million, and professional indemnity insurance to £5 million
- City & Guilds NPTC qualified staff, with CSCS cards, IPAF certified training for powered access, NPORS plant operator training and LANTRA approved training
- Risk assessments and method statements supplied for every job
- Our own machinery, including a Takeuchi TB230 excavator, an Arbmax D45 whole tree chipper and a Teupen LEO24GT spider lift
- Health and safety policy available to download
Where we work
From our base in Thaxted, Essex, we take on commercial work across East Anglia, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, London and the Midlands (excluding the West Midlands).
Need advice or a report rather than tree work?
For BS5837 tree surveys for planning, arboricultural impact assessments and method statements, tree risk management, expert witness work and airport tree safeguarding, talk to EnviroArb Solutions, the chartered consultancy company within the Treecology Group.
Frequently asked questions
Can you work to our tree protection plan and arboricultural method statement?
Yes. Send us the documents with your enquiry and we will price and carry out the work in line with them, including any protective fencing or supervision requirements.
Can you clear vegetation during the bird nesting season?
It is an offence to damage or destroy an active bird nest, so clearance between roughly March and August needs care. Where possible we plan clearance outside the season. Where work cannot wait, we can work with a qualified ecologist so areas are checked before we start.
Do we need a felling licence?
It depends on the volume of timber and the circumstances. Some felling, such as work needed to carry out development with full planning permission, is exempt. We will check before any felling starts and point you in the right direction if a licence is needed.
What paperwork do you provide?
Risk assessments and method statements, insurance certificates and our ARB Approved Contractor details as standard.
Talk to us about your project
Send us your site plan, tree protection plan or schedule of works and we will come back to you with a clear, itemised quote. For anything urgent, call us on 01371 832883 or 07929 251995, or email sales@treecology.org.