What is the Helliwell system and how much is a “point”?
The Helliwell System is one of several methods of placing a monetary value on the visual amenity provided by individual trees and/or woodland.
It has been extensively used in court cases, insurance claims and public inquiries to place visual amenity values on individual trees and to a somewhat lesser extent has been used in court to place visual amenity values on woodland.
The basic approach of the Helliwell system is to allocate point scores under a number of different factors such as tree size, life expectancy, suitability to setting etc. These scores are then combined to give an overall comparative score for a tree or woodland. As a further step, it is then possible to attach a value to this point score by use of a monetary conversion factor.
Current Helliwell point values:
From 1st January 2023
Individual Trees: £46.92
Woodlands: £187.68
To obtain a copy of the current Guidance Note on the Helliwell System (Guidance Note 4) see our Book Shop .
Topics:
conversion, helliwell, monetary value, point value
Find a Professional
If you need advice or tree management services - always use an Arb Approved Contractor (Tree work) or a Registered Consultant (Arboricultural consultant)