Staff Profiles

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

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

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

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