Dryad Tree Specialists has started work on a major rural highway tree survey across East Sussex.
The contract supports East Sussex County Council and East Sussex Highways with proactive tree risk management across the county’s rural road network. The aim is simple: find trees that may pose a risk, record clear data, and help keep highway users safe.
The Client
East Sussex County Council is responsible for a large and varied highway network. This includes rural A, B, C, and U roads across the county.
The survey covers roads above 40mph, with around 1,760km of rural highway network included in the programme.
| Road Class | Approximate Network Length | Survey Phase |
|---|---|---|
| A Roads | 260km | Starting 2026 |
| B Roads | 200km | Starting 2025 |
| C Roads | 600km | Starting 2026 |
| U Roads | 700km | Starting 2027 |
The Challenge
This is a large rural tree survey across highways, verges, lanes, and public routes. The work needs to be safe, consistent, and well planned.
The contract is for a negative tree survey. This means Dryad does not need to record every tree. Instead, our arboricultural surveyors inspect trees within the highway extent and only plot trees that show defects needing remedial work within three years.
Privately owned trees outside the highway boundary are also recorded where they may pose an immediate risk to road users.
The Scope of Works
Dryad Tree Specialists is providing arboricultural surveying across the rural highway network. The work includes:
- Ground-level tree inspections using Visual Tree Assessment principles
- Walked inspections, with driven surveys used only where needed for safety
- Recording trees with defects that may need remedial works
- Prioritising works as Critical, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years
- Recording immediate risks and reporting them within 24 hours
- Using EzyTreev to capture live survey data
- Recording third-party trees where urgent defects are found
- Supporting East Sussex Highways with clear, usable tree safety data
Our Approach
Dryad’s approach is built around safety, clear planning, and reliable data.
Our qualified arboriculturalists inspect trees from ground level, looking for signs of decay, disease, structural weakness, storm damage, deadwood, or other defects that may affect public safety.
Each finding is recorded in the required EzyTreev system. This gives the client live, consistent, location-based data they can use to plan tree safety works across the network.
Technical Details
The survey follows the principles of Visual Tree Assessment and takes account of the National Tree Safety Group guidance, Common Sense Risk Management of Trees.
Where a tree cannot be fully inspected because of access limits, our team records this clearly and recommends further investigation where needed.
For privately owned trees with urgent defects, surveyors record a what3words location and provide the required information for landowner notification.
Public Safety and Community Value
Rural roads can carry fast traffic, limited sightlines, and long stretches of tree cover. Good tree risk management helps reduce risk before issues become emergencies.
This contract gives East Sussex Highways better visibility of tree-related risks across rural roads. It also helps works teams plan remedial action in a clear order of priority.
That means safer routes for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, local communities, and highway workers.
Project Status
The contract is now in its mobilisation phase. Dryad Tree Specialists is starting with the A and B road network before future phases move on to C roads and U roads.
As the project progresses, our focus will remain on safe delivery, accurate data, clear communication, and practical recommendations that support long-term highway tree management.
Project Outcomes
As this contract has just started, final outcomes will be confirmed once each survey phase is complete.
The expected outcomes include:
- A clear record of highway trees needing remedial work
- Improved planning for rural highway tree safety works
- Fast reporting of critical or immediate risks
- Consistent live data within EzyTreev
- Better support for East Sussex County Council’s duty of care
- Safer rural roads and public spaces across East Sussex
Get in Touch
If your council, highways team, estate, or organisation needs professional tree surveys, arboricultural surveying, or tree risk management, contact Dryad Tree Specialists today. Our experienced team delivers safe, practical, and reliable tree care with clear communication from start to finish.
