Savills has established a new forestry team in the central region.

The team, to be led by Mark Townsend, head of Woodland Management and Arboriculture for Savills UK, includes three newly-appointed team members; Tom Whitchurch, Matt Berg and George Taylor, who join Sam Riley, a forestry consultant based in the firm’s Oxford office.

Tom Whitchurch, a forestry manager with more than 10 years’ experience in the forestry and woodland sector, has for five years managed private estate woodlands in the West of England. He previously  worked for Natural Resources Wales and a leading forest nursery company.

Matt Berg joins Savills from the firm from Pryor & Rickett Silviculture, where he was a forestry manager. Prior to that he was a woodland officer for the Forestry Commission in Herefordshire. For three years he was an assistant forestry manager at Tilhill Forestry in Wales.

George Taylor joins as an apprentice forestry consultant. He is studying Forestry at the University of Cumbria, having been a forestry contractor for the last three years with Kilmaha Ltd.

The new team will see Savills extend its coverage across Oxfordshire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

Mark Townsend said: “Having overseen the growth of the central and southern forestry and arboriculture team from two to 15 in the last seven years, it is great to welcome Tom, Matt and George to work alongside Sam, enhancing our presence and growing our client portfolio across the central region.

“Tom and the team will operate as part of our national team of forestry and arboriculture experts, which has itself more than doubled since 2018.”

Emily Hartnell, head of Savills rural and projects division in the central region, said: “I am delighted to welcome Tom, Matt and George to Savills, with these appointments representing the expansion of our regional rural business.

“We have grown our specialist team significantly over the last decade and forestry completes the circle, meaning we can now offer our estate and land owner clients a complete management service.”

Tom Whitchurch said: “The demands on farmland and estates are becoming increasingly complex and in relation to our forests and woodlands, we are seeing increasing pressure on land uses and forestry having to find new streams of income through diversification and grant funding. This is helping diversify woodlands and promote resilience to climate change.

“We can advise estate and landowners on a wide range of issues including woodland creation and management, timber harvesting and tree safety, as well as to deliver ongoing woodland and forest management, ensuring a high quality, professional and prompt service.”

Image (l-r): Matt Berg, George Taylor and Tom Whitchurch.

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