Client / Site: Sir Jack Whitaker / Babworth & Hesley Estate
Sir Jack Whitaker manages 535ha (1,321 acres) with operations delivered by a small, in-house forestry team and external contractors.
We were instructed in 2001 to ensure the in-house team worked efficiently, remained motivated and delivered on the forestry objectives within agreed financial parameters.
Since instructed we have been able to empower the in-house team to undertake a wide variety of forestry operations in conjunction with securing the services of specialist contractors, where needed, to undertake large-scale or more specialist work (e.g. mechanised harvesting). Substantial grant funding has been secured through both Forestry Commission and Regional Development initiatives for both capital equipment (forestry tractor winch more recently) and grants to help cover ongoing management operations, including ride management and uneconomic thinning.
Silvicultural systems that have been implemented have improved timber quality and diversified monoculture stands where needed.
The future plans for this site include empowering the estate to undertake work in-house through clearly understood management and communication links; and to extend our instructions providing specialist advice on the new 2014-20 RDPE, alternative tree species and bespoke timber markets to widen advice provided to the estate including woodfuel installations and continued restructuring.
“Lockhart Garratt have helped me address some complex problems within a mixed commercial/amenity woodland estate over a large number of parcels, and at the same time unlocked some considerable grant funding. As a result we have raised our game significantly.”
Sir Jack Whitaker, Babworth & Bawtry Estates