The arboricultural impact assessment plan illustrates the impact that the proposed development has on nearby trees.

The ideal situation is that proposed works are located outside the Root Protection Areas (RPA) in order to ensure that those retained trees are not harmed.

In some situations it may not be possible to avoid all trees to accomplish the desired scheme/project. In those cases some trees may need to be removed if it is justified. In other situations the impact may not require removal, but may require other measures to ensure the retention of those trees. This can be achieved by various means; trial excavations to determine if roots are growing in the area in question and the use of engineering solutions.