A leading arboricultural & ecological consultancy providing specialist advice throughout the South-East of England

Luke White

FdSc Arboriculture M.Arbor.A

Managing Director & Senior Arboriculturist

As owner and managing director at PJC, Luke leads the company operations and provides strategic guidance and direction to the team to ensure the company achieves its mission and objectives. He also undertakes a role of Senior Arboriculturist at PJC, and completes a vast array of arboricultural surveys and reports, working closely with his longstanding portfolio of clients.

Luke has worked in many areas of the arboricultural and forestry sectors, including as a climbing arborist, a forestry worker, a private woodland manager, within the woodchip biomass industry, and as an arboriculturist for a large multi-disciplinary consultancy specialising in major transport projects throughout the UK. Luke holds a foundation degree in science in arboriculture, is a professional member of the Arboricultural Association and an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters. He has extensive experience undertaking and managing large-scale hazard evaluation surveys and providing guidance, technical reports, and support to assist with planning and development in relation to trees.

Key personal attributes – Personable, Pragmatic, Honest

Tom Knight

BSc(Hons) MSc MCIEEM

Director of Ecology

Tom joined PJC as a senior ecologist in early 2017 and has worked in professional consultancy for over nine years. His background in Biodiversity and Conservation has provided a firm foundation for the provision of sound advice and ecological input through the pre-planning, planning and implementation stages of all planning applications. Tom has worked for various sized projects throughout the country, including major highways and railway infrastructure projects and both large and small-scale residential development schemes.

Tom has extensive experience in both office and field-based ecology, including undertaking phase 1 habitat surveys and a broad range of specialist protected species surveys. Tom also produces high-quality ecological reports including Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Preliminary Bat Roost Assessments, Protected Species Mitigation Strategies, BREEAM, Ecological Impact Assessments and more recently Biodiversity Net Gain / Impact Assessment using the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric 3.0. More recently, Tom has gained experience in advising on a variety of habitat creation, restoration and long-term management initiatives. Tom holds Natural England Class 1 survey licenses for great crested newts, bats and beavers. Tom also holds a sentinel card and is qualified to work on the railway.

Key personal attributes – Adaptable, Focused, Dependable

Tim Ruffles

BA(Hons) SGD – Pre-Registered Member

Director of Landscape & Principal Landscape Designer

Tim is a Landscape & Garden Designer with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Gloucestershire and is a Society of Garden Designers Pre-Registered Member.

Working within a busy chartered Landscape Architects practice since 2008, he has many years of experience designing and developing projects across multiple sectors within large and small design teams.

With years of experience working within the associated landscape commercial contracting sector in both a Landscape Manager & Operations and Contracts Manager role, his experiences and skillset offers a unique overview of projects from inception & development through the design process and project shepherding to installation & build conclusion, as well as, beyond for successful establishment through maintenance & management.

Delivering on projects ranging from large scale commercial projects in housing, municipal green space / parkland and retail through to private enterprise and domestic design projects, Tim has always enjoyed the challenge of delivering on a design brief while offering additional value to projects through landscape enhancement and biodiversity net gains, operating alongside PJC Consultancy colleagues in the arboricultural and ecological teams for his clients.

Tim offers Landscape Services including initial site survey and contextual analysis. Initial conceptual design process and client presentations. Working through to detailed design stages (RIBA Stages 3+ & 4) including construction drawings, project costing and tender process. He also provides on-site project supervision and Clerk of Work services.

Key personal attributes – Diligent, Creative, Flexible

Peter Davies

FdSc Arboriculture M.ArborA

Principal Arboriculturist & Technical Specialist (BS:5837)

Pete has spent his entire adult life working in the arboricultural industry. He started his arboricultural career in tree surgery as a groundsman and climbing arborist before joining PJC as a part-time arboricultural consultant back in 2006, going full-time in 2008. Pete has been a practicing arboricultural consultant for over 15 years. During this time he has worked on a vast array of complex projects, producing BS5837 compliant reports for developments across the south-east. Pete holds a foundation degree arboriculture, is a qualified Professional Tree Inspector and is a professional member of the Arboricultural Association.

Key personal attributes – Dedicated, Conscientious, Professional

Nick Betts

HND Forestry M.Arbor.A

Senior Arboriculturist

Nick has been with PJC since its creation in 2008. Prior to moving into consultancy he has worked as a contracts manager and tree works estimator, and before that as an arborist, leading teams in powerline clearance and infrastructure such as highway and railway tree management. Nick began his career in forestry over 25 years ago working in harvesting, tree planting and aftercare. Having a broad base of knowledge to draw on he produces woodland management plans, undertakes large condition and safety inspections and development surveys. Having been involved with large scale infrastructure surveys since 2005 he advises local authorities, managing agents and landowners on tree management strategy. He is professional member of the Arboricultural Association, a LANTRA qualified professional tree inspector with a higher national diploma in forestry management.

Key personal attributes – Reliable, forward thinking, innovative

Nick Hollett

Level 3 BTEC ND Forestry and Arboriculture

Arboriculturist

Nick has a level 3 National Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture, and Level 2 BTEC Foundation Diploma Countryside and Environment. He has been working in the arboricultural and environmental industry for 15 years, and has extensive experience in the practical side of the industry including habitat creation and habitat maintenance. He started his career as a forestry worker and millworker for a well know cricket bat manufacture, undertaking harvesting, tree planting and aftercare and working in the sawmill. He then progressed as a tree surgeon and landscape contractor, working in both the private and commercial sectors and delivering works on major infrastructure projects for both highways and railways.

Nick joined the PJC team in 2022 and will be working alongside our experienced team of arboricultural consultants to build his technical knowledge as he works toward a career in consultancy.

Key personal attributes– dependable, driven, indefatigable

Nicolle Stevens

BSc(Hons) MCIEEM

Senior Ecologist & Technical Specialist (Bats)

Whilst studying Wildlife Conservation at the University of Kent, Nicolle joined the PJC team as a field ecologist in 2017. Nicolle provides ecological input and advice to all stages of the planning process and manages a variety of residential, commercial and infrastructure projects (including both rail and highway) across the south-east. Nicolle has experience in both office and field-based ecology, handling and analysing data and producing a range of technical reports including Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Preliminary Bat Roost Assessments, Ecological Impact Assessments and Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments. Nicolle leads on a range of protected species surveys for bats, dormice, great crested newts, reptiles, badgers and water voles and produces mitigation and compensation strategies for a range of protected and notable species, habitat mitigation strategies and enhancement and management plans.

Nicolle holds a Natural England level two bat licence and has extensive knowledge and experience with bats and development. She also holds a Natural England level one licence for hazel dormouse and level one licence for great crested newts and is experienced in Natural England District Level Licence (DLL) and NatureSpace Partnership licence applications for the species.

Key personal attributes – Resourceful, Driven, Approachable

Naomi Cornwell

BSc(Hons) MSc

Ecologist

After a year working as a B.U.G.S keeper for ZSL London Zoo, Naomi went back to university to study Animal Conservation and Biodiversity at Greenwich University as a mature student. This led to a work placement with the Bat Conservation Trust, and two seasons experience as a field assistant and ecological surveyor with a Kent based consultancy. She joined the team at PJC in early 2022 after graduating with an MSc in Oceanography (Biological and Ecological pathway) from the University of Southampton and has experience producing technical reports including Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Preliminary Bat Roost Assessments, Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments, and now has experience working on both large and small-scale residential development schemes.

Naomi is a hobbyist scuba diver, holding a PADI Dive Master qualification, and has a wealth of marine surveying and data-collection experience for international marine conservation organisations.

Key personal attributes – Personable, Motivated, Passionate

Rebecca Mortensen

BSc MSc QCIEEM

Ecologist

Rebecca has over 15 years’ experience in nature conservation, including six years working as a field guide in South Africa and roles as a ranger at Port Lympne Reserve. After completing a BSc in Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, she went on to gain an MSc in Conservation and the International Wildlife Trade from the University of Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology. She subsequently spent three years in ecological consultancy, gaining experience in project management, habitat mapping using GIS, protected species surveys and producing technical reports, including Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Preliminary Bat Roost Assessments and Ecological Impact Assessments.

Rebecca has a particular interest in bats, with experience in emergence surveys and acoustic analysis. Outside work, she volunteers with Kent Bat Group, taking part in hibernation surveys and supporting bat rescue as a bat ambulance driver. While at Port Lympne, she also founded a staff Bioblitz initiative to record native wildlife and encourage collaborative conservation across the reserve.

Key personal attributes – Personable, Enthusiastic, Dedicated

David Blagden

BSc(Hons)

Assistant Ecologist

David joined the PJC team in 2023 as a part-time field ecologist whilst studying for his Wildlife Conservation (BSc) at the University of Kent. David has since graduated and joined the PJC full-time as an assistant ecologist. David carries out a variety of field surveys including badger sett monitoring, bat surveys, and reptile surveys. He also performs data analysis on much of the data collected during our field work.

David is a keen birdwatcher and nature lover.

Key personal attributes – Reliable, Focused, Inspiring.

Isabel Howind Rodriguez

BSc(Hons) MSc

Assistant Ecologist

Isabel joined the team at PJC in early 2025 after working at the University of Kent as part of the landscape team, gaining some practical hands-on experience in habitat enhancement and management.

Prior to that Isabel studied Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning for two years, at the University of Hannover in Germany, graduating with a BSc in Landscape Management in 2018 from the University of Greenwich. She then graduated with an MSc in Ethnobotany in 2022 from the University of Kent and went on to work as field ecologist for an Oxfordshire based consultancy for two seasons gaining experience in reptile, great crested newt, bat and dormouse and specialist botanical surveys.

Key personal attributes – Enthusiastic, Perceptive, Meticulous.

Saffra Munro

Finance and Business Development Manager

Saffra oversees the financial operations and business development at PJC. She also serves as the primary human resources contact for the team and aids with the company’s health and safety requirements, marketing, and website development.

Saffra is based in our Sussex office and works part-time.

Key personal attributes – Attentive, Compassionate, Conscientious

Christine Lansley

Credit Control

Christine undertakes the invoicing and credit control at PJC and is the point of contact for anything invoice related.

Christine works part time but can be reached at our Sussex office by calling 01323 832120 or emailing invoices@pjcconsultancy.com.

Key personal attributes – Thorough, Coordinated, Affable