Staff Profiles

David Archer – Principal Consultant

David Archer has been involved in arboriculture, both in contracting and consultancy, since 1975. He has been involved at the highest levels of the lead body for the profession, the Arboricultural Association, and has been responsible for writing major policy documents for a large local authority. He has been a guest lecturer in many of the leading arboricultural colleges and has contributed to Government research papers.

Between 1975 and 2004, David owned and managed a successful arboricultural contracting company and during this time gained extensive experience in modern arboriculture. In 1985 he was assessed and accepted as an Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor and carried out work for many prestigious clients, including the Home Office, the Department of Defence and several corporate headquarters of large international companies. From 2002 to 2005 he was a senior Arboricultural Officer for Brighton & Hove City Council, where he advised the Council on matters relating to arboriculture, forestry, landscape and ecology.

David is experienced in the inspection and assessment of trees and in the appraisal and mitigation of the impacts of proposed developments on trees. During the course of his work, he has frequently given evidence on arboricultural matters in Public Inquiries and Informal Planning Hearings. David is also a professional member of the Arboricultural Association (M.Arbor.A.) and since 1984 has served on a number of committees of that body. He was Chairman of the Professional Committee from 1986 to 1996 and served on its Executive Council over the same period.

david@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07512 346919

Claire Munn - Head of Ecology

Claire joined the team in February 2018 to head up and build our ecology unit, thereby increasing our in-house capabilities to provide a multi-disciplinary service to our clients. Having worked in the industry for over ten years, Claire brings with her a wealth of consultancy and project management experience from across the private, local government and utilities sectors.

With a keen interest and proven track record of designing and implementing bespoke solutions to ecological constraints, Claire offers a highly pragmatic approach to ecological consultancy.

Claire was the Project Ecologist / Ecological Clerk of Works for the construction phase of the Richborough Connection Project; an ambitious scheme and first of its kind for over 30 years in the UK, involving the installation of 60 new pylons throughout 2018 between Canterbury and Sandwich, Kent. Other past projects have included management and delivery of multi-phased and mixed-use private development schemes, solar sites, single-unit developments and a major call-off ecology contract for UK Power Networks across their southern and eastern regions.

Claire holds Natural England survey licences for multiple species and is the named ecologist on dormouse and badger Natural England mitigation licences. This combined with field expertise gathered from a variety of consultancy work and over 14 years of voluntary experience with local conservation groups means that Claire is able to provide high level technical advice across a wide range of projects of varying scales, backed up by local ecological knowledge. Indeed, Claire provides training to others working towards their dormouse and great crested newt class licenses.

Full membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
MSc (Research) Biodiversity Management, with a focus on conservation genetics of white-clawed crayfish in south-east England and the implications for Ark sites
BSc (Hons) Wildlife Conservation, first class
Natural England class licences for: hazel dormice, bats (level 2), great crested newts and white-clawed crayfish
Named Ecologist on Natural England mitigation licences for hazel dormice and badgers
Vice-chair, committee member, social media officer and dormouse licence trainer for the Kent Mammal Group.
Member and surveyor with the Kent Bat Group and Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group
Dormouse monitor for the People’s Trust for Endangered Species

Claire also provides CPD talks on ecology to existing and new clients, so please do get in touch if this is something you might be interested in.

claire@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07568 411939

Mark Mackworth-Praed – Senior Consultant

Beginning in 1978, Mark’s career in arboriculture spans 37 years of experience as a contractor, local authority tree officer and arboricultural consultant. In 2009, he was accepted as a Registered Consultant of the Arboricultural Association, the premier accreditation for practitioners within the arboricultural profession.

From 1985 to 2001, he was arboricultural and landscape officer for two large local authorities, and gained experience both in managing large highway tree populations, parks and council-owned trees and woodlands, and in the operation of tree controls and tree-related issues at all levels within the planning system, from householder applications to major transport infrastructure projects. These included the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1), where he successfully secured significant changes to the proposed route to reduce its landscape impacts.

During this period, he was also Chairman of the Arboricultural Association’s Education Committee and served on its Executive Council, as well as being an examiner and assessor for the Technician’s Certificate in Arboriculture from 1993 to 1999. He has contributed to many government consultations on the operation of the TPO system, and to the development of British Standards relating to tree care on development sites.

Since moving into private practice in 2001, Mark has been involved in a wide spectrum of projects, acting on behalf of clients ranging from private individuals to major national housebuilders and minerals companies on development and planning-related matters, frequently relating to issues affecting ancient woodland, as well as tree hazard and risk assessments, tree accident investigations, tree and woodland management plans, ancient and veteran tree management, and many others.

Mark has extensive experience of preparing and giving expert evidence in Public Inquiries and in Court, including the Magistrates’ and High Courts, and has previously given evidence before Select Committees of both Houses of Parliament on arboricultural and landscape matters. He holds the Cardiff University & Bond Solon Civil Expert Witness Certificate, and is a member of the Expert Witness Institute.

Arboricultural Association Registered Consultant
Fellow of the Arboricultural Association
Member of the Expert Witness Institute
Associate Member of the Institute of Leadership and Management
Cardiff University & Bond Solon Civil Expert Witness Certificate
M.Sc. in Landscape Ecology, Design and Maintenance
LANTRA Certificate in Professional Tree Inspection
BA (Cantab.) Modern and Medieval Languages

mark@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07761 826237

Matt Rew - Technical Manager

Matt is an experienced project manager within the consultancy side of arboriculture, specializing in the appraisal and mitigation of impacts of proposed developments on trees, especially at the post planning, detailed stage. He has a wide range of IT skills, particularly in AutoCAD and database management. His experience has enabled him to develop strong personal links within the planning and environmental industries

HND Rural Resource Management – Plymouth University.
AA Technicians Certificate in Arboriculture.
Lantra Professional Tree Inspection.

matt@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07979 010339

Michael Roberts – Arboricultural Technician

Michael is an experienced arboriculturalist with more than 10 years as a contractor, managing private estates and providing services for local authorities around the South East, and five years helping to manage the National Elm Collection in Brighton and Hove.

In private practice he then honed his surveying skills, becoming a talented assessor of ‘Resistograph’ data collected from contentious and degrading trees. He has a keen interest in TPO and conservation area applications, having submitted them frequently.

His previous experience includes collaboration with landscape architects to deliver reports that cover the “bigger picture” as well as immediate concerns, and heading up a large London scheme with an international developer.

Since joining David Archer Associates in November 2016 Michael has quickly built excellent relationships with clients through site visits and consultations.

Proficient with AutoCAD
Lantra Professional Tree Inspectors certificate/ PTI
Arboricultural Association Certificate: BS5837- Advanced: Tree Assessment for Planning
Currently studying part-time for ABC Level 4 Diploma in Arboriculture

michael@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07544 042143

Emily Sullivan - Senior Ecologist

Emily joined the team in October 2018 to help support the growing ecology department and has over six years’ experience working within the ecology sector. Emily has worked both as a consultant and a Wildlife Advisor within Natural England, which has allowed her to support projects through both planning and the licencing process. Emily’s experience in assessing badger, dormouse and bat mitigation licences brings a useful insight to mitigation licence applications.

Emily has managed both small and medium scale residential developments and has been involved in some more unusual projects including a winter water storage system and reservoir. Emily has survey experience in a range of species, specialises in bats and has a keen interest in botany.

Emily holds a great crested newt and a bat licence and is in the process of obtaining her dormouse licence. In addition to her work, Emily is actively involved with a number of local conservation groups and provides support to local residents with roosting bats.

Graduate membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (soon to be upgraded to Full membership)
BSc (Hons) Zoology, first class
Natural England class licences for: bats (level 2) and great crested newts (level 1)
Natural England Volunteer Bat Roost Visitor
Member and surveyor with the Kent Bat Group

emily@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07542 528120

Greg Sweeney - Arboricultural Consultant

Greg is an arboriculturalist with more than ten years of experience. He began his career working as an arborist including time spent working in New Zealand which rubbed off on Greg kindling his interest and appreciation for the exotic, plants and trees native to Australasia and the southern hemisphere.

Greg has extensive experience of managing large tree populations having worked for two local authorities as a tree officer. He is experienced in the inspection and hazard assessment of trees and has been successful at implementing electronic tree management databases.

Greg has experience of managing woodland and has implemented a UK Forestry Standard management plan for a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) woodland site.

Having worked with a local authority Planning department Greg was able to expand on his experience of providing representations for Tree Preservation Order, conservation and development proposal applications. This afforded Greg the opportunity to influence major infrastructure projects through the appraisal and mitigation of the impacts of proposed development on trees including the development of Forge Wood, a new neighbourhood located in Crawley, and the development of a Network Rail operating centre and depot facilities for the Thameslink rolling stock programme at Three Bridges train station, Crawley.

ABC level 4 Diploma in Arboriculture
LANTRA Certificate in Professional Tree Inspection
Member of the Arboricultural Association
Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters
Member of the Australasian plant society

greg@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07783 005828

Graeme Down - Senior Ecologist

Graeme joined DAA in August 2019 having accumulated over ten years of experience with both small and large consultancies.

Graeme has extensive experience in undertaking Habitats Regulations Assessments, for both plans and projects ranging from small developments to regional scale planning. In the field he specialises in ornithological surveys and has botanical expertise.

He has managed ecological aspects of projects ranging from small residential to large infrastructure projects, including working on the Thames Tideway project, and projects for clients such as National Grid.

Graeme holds a level 2 class licence for great crested newts and has experience in working with a range of protected species.

Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
PhD in Crook Root of Watercress
BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology
Natural England Class Licence (Level 2) for Great Crested Newt

graeme@davidarcherassociates.co.uk

Tel: 07704 094073

Toby Munn - Field Ecologist

Toby joined DAA in April 2019 having accumulated 8 years of experience in ecology surveying and Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) with both small and large projects across south-east England.

Before joining DAA, Toby was working freelance for us and a variety of large and small consultancies; it was only after his extensive ECoW role on behalf of DAA for the construction phase of the Richborough Connection Project (an ambitious scheme and first of its kind for over 30 years in the UK, involving the installation of 60 new pylons throughout 2018 between Canterbury and Sandwich, Kent) that we convinced him to join us on a permanent basis.

Toby has also been named as accredited agent on many mitigation and development licences across a wide species range and has experience with closing badger setts, translocations, design and building of reptile hibernacula and many surveying hours of protected species.

Toby is also responsible for keeping us up-to-date with survey equipment and technology, including leading on the company’s implementation and continuing use of the latest infra-red technology to aid our nocturnal bat surveys.