Felling trees is often a ‘first port of call’ when dealing with subsidence claims and instances of tree removal are likely to increase, a ground engineering specialist has said.
The Met Office has recorded the warmest British summer on record in 2025, with the UK’s mean temperature being 1.51 degrees Celsius above the long-term meteorological average. Subsidence expert Mainmark UK is predicting further instances of tree removal when dealing with subsidence claims, due to high-water demand tree species causing significant soil shrinkage.
Mainmark UK, which delivers level correction to homes across the UK and Ireland, has said that the felling of trees causing subsidence is ‘needless’ and solutions to establish harmony between the built and natural environments should be prioritised.
Freya Chapman, Residential Lead at Mainmark UK said: “It was reported this summer by the BBC that Councils across England had been granted permission to fell more than 1,000 trees which previously had Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs).
“Time and time again, we see tree removal as being the first port of call for addressing subsidence claims. Even if they aren’t protected with a TPO, there are ways of navigating subsidence issues that don’t come at the expense of the natural environment.
“Generally, if a homeowner suspects tree-related subsidence, they need to contact their insurer first to further investigate the matter. The insurer is then responsible for collating an engineering report detailing the damage, a plan and profile of the foundations, an arboricultural report and results of soil investigations confirming moisture content, plasticity and any identified tree roots.
“However, I don’t believe this process is followed adequately enough, but I understand why.
“Councils and local authorities can’t afford to compensate homeowners for subsidence damage, and neither can other landowners, if the trees are privately owned. So, they see the most efficient and cost-effective solution to this issue is to remove the tree entirely.
“Homeowners everywhere are now asking for a better solution. Every week we see reports of residents trying to prevent the felling of historic trees.
“I’d like to see insurers, arborists and ground engineers collaborate together on innovative new processes, which can help establish this harmony quickly and at a low cost.”
Mainmark UK is known for its ‘combined methodology’ approach to subsidence claims, prioritising both the homeowner and the natural environment in its problem-solving.
Its patented Teretek® resin injection solution is a greener, cost-effective and quick alternative to subsidence repair, which strengthens foundations and relevels the ground without the need for underpinning.
Furthermore, through its involvement with organisations like the Subsidence Forum Committee, Mainmark has been campaigning for the development of textile-based root barriers using copper, the only compound that tree roots naturally divert away from. Traditional root barriers use cement-based treatments, which are costly, time-consuming and bad for the environment. uPVC barriers can also be used, but they often prevent water from moving freely in the soil, further damaging vegetation.
Freya is a Subsidence Forum Committee member alongside Mainmark UK’s General Manager, Tom Kavanagh (Vice Chair). She continued: “There is more than 17 years’ worth of data to suggest that copper root barriers could provide a solution. It’s also a lot greener, and less invasive than traditional methods using cement.
“For homeowners, mitigating subsidence claims while protecting the surrounding vegetation involves simple consultation with ground engineering experts, who can adopt a problem-solving approach using state-of-the-art technologies to save the unnecessary felling of trees.”
Mainmark UK is part of the global Mainmark group of companies – founded originally in Australia in 1989, but successfully delivering projects in New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, the UK and Ireland. Through its solutions for releveling, ground improvement and void filling, it has successfully delivered 82,000 projects globally to help futureproof infrastructure from climate-related disasters.