Tree Safety Survey, Cambridge
JBA was commissioned to undertake a health and safety survey of all trees on land owned by Marshall Group Properties Ltd (MGP). The MGP estate comprises of over 370 hectares on the eastern side of Cambridge with a diverse range of land use, including Cambridge Airport; Newmarket Road Park & Ride; business parks; car showrooms; engineering and aviation services, and farmland. Busy roads pass through the estate, which is also crossed by public footpaths and cycle routes.
Risk zones were identified for each site, based on the extent of use by staff, visitors and the public, and proximity to neighbouring residential areas.We provided MGP with tree inventories and accompanying plans for each site. These showed the risk zones, noted any tree defects and assessed their potential risk of causing injury or harm. Recommended remedial tree works were prioritised in line with the risk zones and their likelihood of failure.
We continue to carry out annual inspections of the estate. The frequency of each site’s reinspection is based on its risk zones (the higher the risk, the more frequent the inspections). Since the initial survey, each year’s work recommendations have decreased significantly as the most hazardous trees have been managed appropriately.
Our pragmatic risk-aware approach demonstrates how such proactive surveys help landowners comply with their duty of care and allow budgets to be used effectively, reducing the need for unexpected spending on ad hoc and emergency works.
