National Tree Safety Group

Caroline Harrison

Biography

Caroline Harrison is a Chartered Forester with nearly 30 years of experience across the forestry and the wood supply chain. She is currently the Technical Policy Manager at the Institute of Chartered Foresters. Caroline began her career with the Working Woodlands Project, supporting businesses in the southwest woodland supply chain. Her career has since spanned roles, including England National Manager for the Confederation of Forest Industries (CONFOR), where she held both representational and director-level positions. During her time at CONFOR she actively contributed to the content of the first edition of the NTSG guidance. Before joining the ICF, Caroline was a director at Evolving Forests—a business that works across forestry, sustainable timber use, and creative media. She is a Trustee of the Royal Forestry Society and previously served as a Trustee of Woodland Heritage. While her expertise has evolved to encompass policy, Caroline’s true passion lies in amplifying the voices of the people who work across the arboriculture, forestry, and timber sectors.

Sir Harry Studholme

Biography

Harry was chair of the Forestry Commission from January 2013 to February 2020, having been a Commissioner since 2007 and Deputy Chairman of the Independent Panel on Forestry, which reported in July 2012. While a Commissioner he helped bring together the NTSG and was its first chair.

He has been a forester and farmer in Devon for the last 35 years, owning and running the Perridge Estate near Exeter, which includes a profitable and award winning forest, an organic farm and commercial and residential property. He is the chair of Adapt Biogas Ltd, and the Treasurer of the Devon County Agricultural Association. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Chartered Tax Adviser and an accredited Commercial Mediator. He is an Honorary Fellow of the ICF and an Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter and a Fellow of Forest Research.

Neville Fay MA (Hons), MICFor, MArborA, FLS, FRGS

Biography

Nev Fay is an ICF Registered Arboricultural Consultant and principal consultant at Treework Environmental Practice with 40 years’ experience. He holds an Arboricultural Association Award for Services to Arboriculture (2009). Nev has been involved in the NTSG since its inception and chairs its editorial drafting committee. He is a past chair of the Ancient Tree Forum and currently chairs its Technical Advisory Panel. He is an expert witness on tree failure cases. He co-authored Trees – a Lifespan Approach and Natural England’s Veteran Tree Specialist Survey Method.

He is a founder/director of the Sustainable Soils Alliance and of the charity Tree Aid.

Jim Smith

Biography

Jim Smith has been an urban forester for over 35 years. He first worked for the Forestry Commission on leaving school and returned to London to work as an arborist in the Royal Parks in the early eighties.

He is a Chartered Member of the ICF and has been involved in the production of many national guidance documents involving trees. Notably the original and current versions of NJUG 10; Guidelines for the Planning Installation, Maintenance and Repair of Utility Services in Proximity to Trees (previously NJUG Volume 4 and now Streetworks UK Volume 4), The Institution of Structural Engineer’s document Subsidence 2023 (co-authoring Chapter 8), The LTOA’s document, A Risk Limitation Strategy for Tree Root Claims 2007, The Joint Mitigation Protocol, The National Tree Safety Group’s guidance Common sense risk management of trees, is author of local authority guidance for producing a comprehensive tree and woodland strategy, main contributor on the urban tree content of the Biodiversity Net Gain Metric and is also a member of the British Standards Institute B/213 committee on standards for trees.

He was appointed the London Tree and Woodland Framework Manager in 2006 and is now the Forestry Commission’s National Urban Forestry Adviser. He is married with two children and lives in North London.

David Ball

Biography

David Ball has been Professor of Risk Management from 1997-2025. He is currently Director of Risk Assessment and Management Associates (RAMA) Ltd. He has a PhD in physics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. He is the UK’s representative on ISO working group TC 83/WG6 which recently published a new standard on benefit-risk assessment of sport and recreational activities.

David is convinced of the importance of trees both for people’s health and the ecosystem and has been pleased to assist the NTSG since its inception.

Richard Stead

Biography

Richard Stead is a barrister at St John’s Chambers in Bristol, practising since 1980. He also sits as a Recorder in the Crown Court.

Richard specialises in tree root subsidence claims and claims arising from falling trees; acting for councils, landowners and those who suffer due to falling trees. Having acted for the Claimant in Poll he then became involved with NTSG, contributing a section in the 1st and 2nd editions of the NTSG Guidance on “Trees and the law”. He spends his spare time inspecting the roadside trees growing in his garden.

Simon Richmond

Senior Technical Adviser

Biography

Senior Technical Adviser at the Arboricultural Association and has been working in the sector for 50 years, as contractor, trainer, consultant and adviser. He has been responsible for the development of numerous training and technical guidance documents, organising and presenting the Association’s conferences and the ARB Show over many years and editing the ARB Magazine. In recent decades he has become particularly interested in ancient and veteran trees and was part of the pan-European team that developed the VETcert qualification. He was a main contributor to both the first and second editions of the NTSG guidance.

Andy Tipping

Biography

Andy Tipping has worked at the London Borough of Barnet for 29 years, after nine years as a tree surgeon. He joined the Executive of the London Tree Officers Association 25 years ago and has twice been Chair, in 2008 and 2022. He is a Trustee of the Arboricultural Association. He was a contributor to the first and second editions of the National Tree Safety Group guidance and has also been involved in the development of BS:8545, Joint Mitigation Protocol (JMP), CAVAT and the LTOA Risk Management Strategy for Tree Root Claims. He is Chair of the Apprenticeship Trailblazer group for Arboriculture, Levels 2,4 & 6.