Arbtech

Arbtech began in 2005 as a consultancy focused on ecology and arboriculture for planning projects. Founded by Robert Oates, it works with homeowners, architects, and planning professionals who need to understand a site’s environmental conditions before moving ahead with development. Its head office is in Chester, although fieldwork is organized across different parts of the UK.

Ecology surveys cover habitat assessments and the presence of protected species. The company lists work involving bats, great crested newts, birds, badgers, reptiles, and other species, as well as licensing and measures related to their protection. The practical aim is to provide reports that help account for wildlife and environmental requirements in a planning application, rather than replace a local authority’s decision.

Arboriculture is another core part of the business. Arbtech prepares tree reports for development projects, risk assessments, BS5837 surveys, impact assessments, and construction monitoring. It also handles biodiversity net gain, from metrics and assessments to plans and reports. For property owners and developers, these areas can overlap when trees or habitats affect a site’s design.

Its services also include contaminated-land work, air-quality assessments, invasive-species surveys, and flood-risk, water, and drainage assessments. The company lists topographical surveys and other studies connected with development as well. Instead of limiting an inquiry to a single report, it can bring several disciplines together around a site and the questions a planning application needs to address.

A project starts with a quote request and information about the site. Once the proposal is accepted, the client returns a booking form and agrees on a survey date; the consultancy assigns a project manager as the main point of contact. Its published terms say the fee includes professional time, travel, and the report, which is released once payment is complete.

Arbtech reports a team of more than 150 people, over 18,000 projects a year, and more than 80,000 projects supported since 2005. The company combines field consultants based across England and Wales with offices in Chester, Birmingham, and London. This structure supports work across the country, although specific visits depend on the discipline required, time of year, and site conditions.

Speed is an explicit part of the company’s service offer: clients can request weekend survey appointments and next-business-day report options, with some work available on shorter timelines. For a development project, the consultancy’s value lies in connecting a site inspection with technical documentation on trees, wildlife, biodiversity, and other issues that may affect the planning process.