Glasgow's Development Site Clearance Specialists Since 2005
Commercial Development Clearance Works Glasgow
✓ Trading since 2005✓ BS3998 standard✓ Fully insured✓ Free quotes
Trading Since 2005
BS3998 Standard
Fully Insured
Free, No-Obligation Quotes
Introduction
Getting a Glasgow development plot ready for the contractors means more than felling trees and clearing scrub - it means doing that work in the right order, at the right time of year, and in a way that stands up if a planning officer or an ecologist asks how it was done. Glasgow Trees carries out the physical site preparation itself - tree and vegetation removal, stump grinding, and ground clearance - and times that work around the protected species surveys and ecological findings that shape most development consents in and around Glasgow.
For smaller commercial plots that don't need a full development-scale programme, our site clearance service covers the same ground work on a simpler footing.
Key Selling Points
- Trading as Glasgow's tree specialists since 2005, with all work carried out to British Standard BS3998
- NPTC/Lantra qualified across felling, aerial work and heavy plant - stump grinder, 360 excavator, timber crane and telehandler included
- Free, no-obligation site visit before any quote is written
What Our Development Site Preparation Actually Covers
- Removal of trees and vegetation on the plot, including trees under a Tree Preservation Order once council consent is secured, carried out to BS3998
- Stump grinding and root removal where old stumps would obstruct foundations, drainage runs or access roads
- Clearance of scrub, self-seeded growth, overgrown boundary vegetation and fly-tipped material ahead of enabling works
- Felling and removal of windblown or storm-damaged trees that are holding up a site start
- Ground levelling and rough grading using certified plant suited to the site's access and bearing capacity
- Timing clearance work around whatever ecological survey findings or bird nesting season restrictions apply to the site
- Rapid-response clearance where storm damage or a fallen tree threatens to delay a construction start
Not Included / Costed Separately
- Producing the ecological survey report itself (bats, breeding birds, other protected species) - this needs a separate qualified ecological consultant, though we work to whatever it specifies
- Laboratory soil testing and remediation of contaminated land - specialist environmental consultants handle testing and remediation design
- Submitting the planning application or discharging planning conditions - normally your architect or planning consultant's role
- Licensed asbestos removal from any structures on site - requires a licensed asbestos contractor
- Demolition of buildings, as distinct from tree and vegetation clearance
- Civil engineering groundworks such as drainage installation or foundation construction beyond basic levelling
From First Call to Cleared Ground
- Enquiry and free site visit: Call and describe the plot and your target start date, and we'll arrange a free, no-obligation site visit rather than quote blind.
- On-site assessment: We walk the site checking for TPO-covered trees, obvious protected-species indicators, ground access and bearing capacity, then agree what needs to happen and in what order.
- Scheduling around your programme: Work is timed to fit your build programme and any ecological survey findings or nesting-season restrictions, so clearance doesn't stall the wider project.
- Clearance and ground preparation: Trees and vegetation are removed, stumps ground out, and the ground levelled using the appropriate certified plant - 360 excavator, telehandler, timber crane or stump grinder as the site demands.
- Handover: We walk the cleared site with you or your site manager to confirm it's ready for the next trade, with waste and photographic records available.
Routine Site Clearance vs Development-Ready Preparation
| What's involved | Routine site or garden clearance | Development site preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Trees on site | Removed on request | Checked against Tree Preservation Orders and conservation area status before any cutting |
| Timing | Any time of year | Coordinated around bird nesting season and any ecological survey findings |
| Machinery | Hand tools and small plant | Certified heavy plant - 360 excavator, timber crane, telehandler, stump grinder - for larger or lower-access sites |
| Records | Simple invoice | Waste and photographic records available to support your build programme |
| Scheduling | Booked independently | Timed against your contractor's start date and enabling works |
The Qualifications and Plant Behind the Clearance Work
Development clearance is only as good as the person doing it and the machine they're doing it with. Glasgow Trees' team holds NPTC/Lantra certificates spanning health and safety, first aid, chainsaw and tree work - small and large tree felling, windblown trees, aerial rescue, chainsaw from rope and harness, rigging and dismantling - plus machinery certification for the stump grinder, wood chipper, timber crane, FMO tractor, forwarder trailer, line skidder, 360 excavator, flail and telehandler that development-scale sites typically need. NPTC Professional Tree Inspection qualification means trees can be properly assessed for condition and retention value before anything is cut, and all work is carried out to British Standard BS3998 by a fully insured team. The same care applied to careful clearance around retained or veteran trees has been put into practice on restoration work at Pollok Country Park, home to the tallest Sitka spruce in the city. Quotes are free and no-obligation, so there's no cost to getting a plot properly assessed before deciding on a start date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you handle the planning application, or just the physical clearance?
We carry out the on-the-ground work - removing trees and vegetation, grinding stumps, clearing scrub and levelling ground - to British Standard BS3998. Submitting the planning application, discharging planning conditions, or producing the ecological survey report itself is normally handled by your architect, planning consultant or a separate ecological consultant. We're happy to work from whatever conditions or survey findings your team has already secured, and to time our work around them.
Can you clear trees or vegetation before planning permission is granted?
Not if any of the trees are covered by a Tree Preservation Order or sit within a conservation area - removing them without the council's consent can hold up the whole application, not just the trees. We check TPO status as part of the site visit and flag anything that needs a formal application before we touch it. Vegetation outside those constraints can usually be cleared once you're ready to proceed.
Do you carry out tree surveys for a planning application?
Our team includes NPTC Professional Tree Inspection qualified staff, so we can assess and report on individual trees - condition, TPO status, retention value - as part of planning a clearance. Full ecological surveys covering bats, breeding birds or other protected species need a separate qualified ecological consultant; we coordinate our clearance timing around whatever that survey specifies, including any bird nesting season restriction.
How much notice do you need before a construction start date?
It depends on the site. A small plot with no protected trees can sometimes be cleared within days of a free site visit, while a larger or more constrained site benefits from being booked in well ahead of your target start date, particularly if bird nesting season or a TPO application is involved. Get in touch as early as your build programme allows so we can plan around it rather than react to it.
What happens if a protected tree or a bat roost turns up once work has started?
Work stops on that area immediately. For a suspected bat roost, that means leaving it undisturbed and bringing in a licensed ecologist before anything further happens nearby - disturbing a roost is a criminal offence. For an unrecorded TPO tree, we pause and check with the council. It happens rarely, but the honest answer is that it can add time to a programme, which is why a proper site assessment before work starts is worth having.
Can you work alongside contractors already mobilised on site?
Yes - it's common for us to be clearing one area while enabling works or groundworks are underway elsewhere. We agree access, working hours and safety segregation with the principal contractor beforehand, and the team is used to working around live site traffic, welfare facilities and other trades.
What size of machinery can you bring onto a Glasgow development site?
That depends on access and ground bearing capacity, which we check on the site visit. Our operators are certificated to run a 360 excavator, telehandler, timber crane, stump grinder, wood chipper and forwarder trailer, so most plots can be cleared without bringing in a subcontracted machine, though very restricted urban sites sometimes need smaller kit brought in stages.
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0141-483-7485
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