Thomson Ecology Arboriculture recently undertook tree surveys as part of an Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for a potential new housing development at Hellingly near Hailsham, East Sussex. The site has a large number of trees, most of which will be retained.
The AIA is used to determine the effect that the proposed development will have on the trees and include which trees to retain and which to remove. Methods are detailed in the report for how retained trees should be protected during construction and any special construction techniques that should be used to protect desirable trees.
With ecology colleagues, the team also undertook a National Vegetation Classification survey (a standard technique for sampling and classifying plant communities in Britain) and a Condition Assessment of the woodland on the site. These will be used to provide recommendations for the future management of the woodland to promote biodiversity and provide amenity value for residents and the community.
