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Tavistock Town Council

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Tree Survey Tender – the deadline for receipt of formal written quotes is 12 noon on Friday 3rd July 2026.

Tavistock Town Council is inviting quotes from Arboriculturist’s with the relevant skills and specialist knowledge to conduct a formal inspection (on a negative reporting basis) of the trees owned and managed by the Town Council for the purpose of tree risk management and to inform a schedule of appropriate and necessary work. 

The Town Council owns and manages approximately 24 sites comprising of public open spaces, play parks, moorland, cemeteries, allotments and car parks.  It is worth noting that several of our sites fall within the designated conservation area and that some of our trees have TPOs.

Our tree inspections are undertaken biennially, the last survey was completed summer 2024.  The survey identified approximately 80 trees requiring management and in 2022, 150 trees.

The inspection undertaken should be a ground-level visual assessment of the exterior of the tree looking for:

  1. Significant defects or hazards with the potential to cause injury or damage to persons or property in the coming twelve months.
  2. Beneficial site management for nuisance and/or damage occurring within three years. This may include but not limited to, tree growth in contact with structures, severance of heavy ivy growth to aid in future visual tree assessments or to reduce load carrying capacity of trees and/or planting after care.  The tree inspection should also identify any over-looked tree maintenance issues e.g. removal of tree stakes, guards and ties.
  3. Statutory management to obtain sufficient clearances above public highways or tree growth that is in contact with overhead telecoms or public lighting and/or signage.
  4. Damage to Town Council trees such as suspected drilling and/or poisoning, unauthorised pruning, tipping on roots and/or animal damage.
  5. Any obvious pests and diseases that may be present at the time of the inspection.

There is one tree of interest under the Town Council’s ownership that requires an individual health and condition survey, an Ash tree located in Whitchurch Park on a boundary hedgerow.

In addition to the formal tree inspection, we require an Ash Dieback survey which should be covered in a separate report.

Within your tender submission please can you itemise the costs associated for the Whitchurch Park Ash tree Health & Condition Survey and the Ash Dieback survey separate to the wider tender submission for the formal Tree Inspection.

Further detailed investigation e.g. aerial inspection should only be undertaken in agreement with Tavistock Town Council and does not form part of this quote. 

The inspection must be undertaken using a recognised risk methodology (of which must be made clear in your submission). The schedule must include the following information and be presented on an Excel spreadsheet or suitable alternative format agreed at the pre-contract start meeting:

  1. Tree ID
  2. Accurate Location
  3. Number (if in a group)
  4. Species (botanical and common)
  5. Age
  6. Height (m)
  7. Diameter (mm)
  8. Crown spread (m)
  9. Physiological and Structural condition
  10. PRF Identified
  11. Recommended Action (please consider biodiversity in your recommendations)
  12. Work Priority Timescale (months)
  13. Inspection Frequency
  14. Risk Level
  15. Photos
  16. Comments

Trees of high amenity value, requiring management/work or a watching brief, must be provided with a unique tree identification number (if they do not already have a tag number assigned to them) and their location noted on the TTC maps. You should allow for the placing of required tags within your quotation. The Town Council specify the use of Aluminium Tree Tags. Please do not duplicate tree tags, if a tree is already tagged, please reference that number.

The Ash Die Back Survey should help the Town Council assess the scale of the impact of Ash Dieback by establishing an approx. figure for how many ash trees are in the areas owned and/or managed by the Town Council.  All ash trees infected with ADB must be plotted on the site map and specific information about that tree recorded. A recognised model for assessing ASB (i.e. The Tree Council) must be used and specified within your findings to the Town Council.

As part of your tender submission you must provide evidence of your professional indemnity and public liability insurance together with relevant qualifications to undertake an Arboculturitst inspection and membership of any professional bodies, along with previous experience. 

The deadline for receipt of formal written (email is not acceptable) quotes is 12 noon Friday 3rd July 2026.

The Town Council intend to let the work by Friday 10th July, the inspection is to be undertaken and completed for return (full submission) to the Works Manager by 9am on Friday 11th September 2026. Please note any trees with an immediate work priority should be notified to the Works Manager by email within one week of the respective inspection date. If you are unable to commit to these timeframes we would kindly ask that you do not tender for the works on this occasion.

The contract will be awarded on the basis of best value and not necessarily the lowest price.  The estimated value of the contract is between £4,500 – £7,000.

If you are interested in tendering for the Town Council’s 2026 Tree Inspection, please submit your quotation in writing in a sealed envelope marked:

CONFIDENTIAL – TREE SURVEY TENDER to:

The Proper Officer, Tavistock Town Council, Town Council Offices, Drake Road, TAVISTOCK, Devon, PL19 0AU.

For further information please contact Becky Rowe on 01822 616134 or via email [email protected] . Please note Becky will not be available 10th – 30th June 2026, but will respond to any email queries before and after this time. If you have any queries in between this time period please contact the General Manager Wayne Southall via email [email protected]

Note – prospective tenderers are prohibited from contacting staff or councillors to canvass or encourage support for their tender outside of the prescribed process.

APPENDIX 1

The Town Council is responsible for trees at the following locations. In order to assist with forming your quotation, maps for the below areas are available on our website www.tavistock.gov.uk

  1. Abbey Rise Embankment PL19 9AS
  2. Abbotsfield (open space areas at front and at rear of property) PL19 8EZ
  3. Bannawell Park PL19 0DN
  4. Bishopsmead Park PL19 9DN – please include the two Oak trees on the boundary hedgerow
  5. Butcher Park Allotments PL19 0ER
  6. Celle Gardens PL19 0HH
  7. Courtlands Park PL19 0EZ
  8. Dolvin Road Cemetery PL19 9EA
  9. Guildhall Car Park PL19 0AE
  10. Market Road Cottages PL19 0AL
  11. Market Road Riverbank PL19 0AL
  12. Mount Tavy Embankment / Old Railway Bank (adjacent to Dolvin Road Cemetery) PL19 9LA
  13. Pixon Lane Open Space PL19 9AZ
  14. Plantations (opposite Dolvin Road Cemetery) PL19 9EA
  15. Plymouth Road CemeteryPL19 8BY
  16. Tavy Gardens PL19 9JB
  17. The Meadows Park PL19 8SP
    1. Mrs Wedds Arboretum Benson Meadow Pearses Meadow St John’s Walk/Abbey Walk BMX track Bowling Green Skateboard Park Canal Walk/Tennis courts/Community Sensory Garden
  18. The Works Depot, Westbridge Industrial Estate PL19 8DE
  19. West Street Cut PL19 8AN
  20. Whitchurch Down (selected areas) PL19 9AQ
  21. Whitchurch Park PL19 9PS

*Please note some areas i.e. Whitchurch Down, Bishopsmead Park will be subject to boundary trees of which further information will be provided at the pre-start meeting with the successful tenderer