Helen started work as a tree surgeon gaining hands on approach to tree care from which she developed extensive proven experience with tree hazard recognition / assessment and safety inspection of trees. She then worked for a number of years in Local Government as an Arboricultural Officer at both Local and County Council level, where she advised on tree care in the public realm and where public safety takes the highest priority. During her years in Local Government she also dealt directly with trees and the planning system; administering and advising on all aspects of tree-related matters, including the legal protection of trees through Tree Preservation Orders and development of tree related policies and tree strategies.

Moving into consultancy with FPCR, where she has been for the past 14 years, Helen has developed and advanced the Arboricultural Service within the Practice, which now has a team of ten qualified Arboriculturalists.

Helen works extensively in the preparation of tree surveys and impact assessments in accordance with British Standard 5837 (2012) and is considered highly experienced in the field of planning and development in respect of trees. She assists with masterplanning and design of new developments, incluing a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial schemes, to ensure successful retention and integration with trees.

She routinely prepares reports to support planning application submissions for a broad range of development schemes in the form of Arboricultural Impact Assessments. This extends to preparing documents for compliance with planning conditions including means of Tree Protection, site supervision, and Arboricultural Method Statements to resolve more complex design issues. She also prepares objections to the serving of TPO’s and TPO appeals against refusals for tree work consent on behalf of clients. Daily work involves regular liaison with both statutory and non-statutory conservation bodies and other organisations in respect of trees advising a broad range of clients as well as engineers, planners, architects and contractors.

Helen has taken the lead on a number of large scale tree surveys for projects delivering up to 2500 houses and has been involved in advising in the process of their master planning through to the detailed design. She has also assisted in the preparation of material for several Planning Appeals and Public Inquiries.

Helen is also an Assessor and member of the Examination Board for the Institute of Chartered Foresters Professional Membership Entry and advises on tree related matters for OPUN (a Design Review Panel for the East Midlands).