Make a branch list that can be checked on site
Give each branch you want considered an identifier on a copy of the wide photograph. Use the same identifier on a closer picture and state what you want to achieve, such as more clearance above a path. Mark branches you want left in place as well. A short list for a particular part of a small tree helps keep the scope clear. If the cut would change a view or screening, include a photograph from the place where that change matters.
Show the ground position in relation to the trunk and the proposed branches. Include obstacles, a fence or a narrow gate that might affect access. If the garden has more than one entrance, identify the one you can open. The branch may look reachable from a distant photograph, but its position and the space beneath it still need assessment. Tell us what can move from beneath the work area and what must stay.
Agree the treatment of the cut material when reviewing the branch list. Name a place it can be gathered if it will remain at the property. If you want collection, show the carry route separately and explain any narrow or shared entrance. Keep the final list, access notes and any council information together so the agreed pruning can be checked against the same instructions.
Before booking, compare the branch list with the photographs once more. Include the position from which each branch can be identified and show anything underneath that cannot move. Make clear which branches are intended to stay, especially if they screen a view or reach towards a boundary. If access depends on another person opening a gate, agree that arrangement and record it with the scope. Ask for the written quotation to distinguish the cut material from any waste already gathered in the garden.
Checks to make before cutting
Use the full property address and marked branch photos when checking with the local planning authority. The GOV.UK tree protection and conservation-area guidance explains when consent or a conservation-area notice may apply. If you have seen nesting activity, leave the area undisturbed and see the GOV.UK wild bird protection guidance. Agree the cuttings destination in the written quotation.
