Woodland

What can the Oakbank Woodland Division offer you?

  • Site visits to assess your woodland and understand your requirements

  • Simple felling licence applications to full woodland management plans

  • Help improve your woodland for shooting

  • Practical help marking up trees for thinning and improving/creating rides and flushing areas

  • Countryside Stewardship grant applications.

  • English Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) Applications

  • Woodland Carbon Code Application & Registration

  • Contractor engagement – we effectively become your woodland manager and find the right contractors for your woods

  • Assistance with timber marketing and sales

  • Tree Risk Management – assisting and delivering your estate wide tree risk management policy and carrying out your tree hazard inspections.

  • Managing notable, veteran and ancient trees for longevity

Woodland Management Planning

We are able to offer all levels of assistance, from detailed woodland manage plans for semi-natural ancient woodland and SSSI’s, through to more concise plans for simple woodland improvements and to enable felling licences.  We then also offer one-off visits to discuss and advise on your woodland management and to mark up your thinnings to maximise your crop potential for the future. We specialise in advising on how to improve your woodland ecologically, for game shooting and to maximise the potential economic return. Whatever your woodland needs, we can assist.

  • Multifaceted and comprehensive woodland management plans

  • Concise, operational woodland management plans

  • Ancient Woodland Restoration Plans

  • Felling licence applications and assistance

Woodland operational Management

Oakbank can help you plan, arrange and supervise all of your woodland operations, including timber harvesting, be it through contractor engagement or through negotiated or tendered standing sales. We can manage your coppice cutting and fencing requirements, your new woodland planting or young woodland maintenance needs such as spraying, replacing failed trees (known as beating up) or tube maintenance. We have a portfolio of trusted contractors and timber buyers that are ready to work for you.

  • Marking of trees for thinning and harvesting operations

  • Woodland Maintenance Management

  • Contractor engagement

  • Timber harvesting and marketing

  • Management of site Health & Safety

“We are delighted with the assistance and service we received from Oakbank in developing a defensible tree risk management policy for our estate. We were keen to ensure that we had a long-term and fit for purpose process in place so that our tree stock is as safe as is practical and our legal duty of care is satisfied. We are now safe in the knowledge that our entire tree stock has been considered and, where necessary, assessed for defects and that subsequently all issues have been remediated. The ongoing tree risk management strategy is now clear and will be easy to maintain.” 

Matthew Sigsworth, Cheveley Park Stud, Newmarket

Tree Risk Management

Managing the risk posed by trees is acknowledged as an essential part of managing any land holding, and we have extensive experience in this field. We can advise you on the most cost effective and reasonable approach to managing your tree stock. Implementing a proactive and defensible system need not be particularly onerous in terms of time or cost but would prove invaluable in the event of a tree related incident. We have recently carried out surveys at The Jockey Club, Newmarket and Haverhill Golf Club. Call us now to discuss implementing a workable tree risk management strategy.

  • Guidance on tree risk strategy to suite your needs and tree stock

  • Production of Risk Management Policy

  • Carry out tree hazard inspections and provision of written reports

  • Contractor engagement

  • Management of site Health and Safety

Ancient and Veteran Trees

Ancient and veteran trees are beyond normal maturity for their species and are therefore relatively rare and incredibly important habitats within our ecosystem and our landscape. These structures require specific care, presenting a unique set of management challenges, which differ from conventional arboriculture, including the management of land surrounding the trees themselves and management to prevent structural failure. We have a lot of experience in the management of these irreplaceable elements of our heritage and would be delighted to assist you in the management of yours.

  • Guidance on sensitive management of these important structures and habitats

  • Carry out inspections and provide reports and guidance for managing specific trees

  • Contractor engagement

  • Management of site Health and Safety

New Woodland Creation

We are experienced at planning, administering and managing new woodland planting schemes for all requirements. If you are an estate manager wanting to plant new woods for shoot improvements or a Town Council Clerk wishing to plant an area of public amenity woodland, we know how best to achieve it and we are here to help.

  • Grant application

  • Assisting woodland design and layout planning

  • Contractor engagement

  • Supply of trees, shrubs and protection

  • Management of site Health and Safety

Woodland funding

Grant Applications and Funding Guidance and Assistance

We have a very good understanding of these complex grants and can assist you in securing these important income streams for your woodland. Whether it be new woodland creation, woodland management plans or funding to restore and improve woodland affected with Chalara ash dieback or Phytophthora ramorum (larch and chestnut), Oakbank is here to help.

  • CS Woodland Creation Planning Grant

  • CS Woodland Management Plan Grant

  • CS Woodland Tree Health Grant

  • CS Woodland Improvement Grant

  • Woodland Carbon Fund 

  • English Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) Grant

  • Ancient Woodland Restoration Plans

  • Woodland Carbon Code Application & Registration

“The Woodland Division at Oakbank has recently developed an excellent 10-year management plan for my woodlands. Approved by the Forestry Commission, it comes with all felling permissions required for its implementation. This plan will deliver my multiple objectives of enhancing wildlife habitat, shooting potential, income generation and making them more robust for the future.  With the ongoing support of Oakbank’s woodland consultants, I am confident that these previously undermanaged woods will become far richer habitats and more valuable estate assets.” 

Richard Squire, Bassmead Manor, Staploe

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