CHESHIRE WOODLANDS LIMITED

What CHESHIRE WOODLANDS LIMITED does

Cheshire Woodlands Limited is a UK-based arboricultural consultancy founded in 1978 by Mike Ellison and headquartered in Macclesfield, Cheshire. The firm delivers tree surveys, tree risk assessments, pest and disease diagnostics, woodland management planning, expert witness services, veteran tree management, and BS5837-compliant surveys for planning applications. Its principal proprietary asset is the QTRA (Quantified Tree Risk Assessment) methodology, published by Ellison in 2005 and now used in 18 countries as an international gold standard for balancing tree safety risk against tree value. The company also operates a bespoke data collection tool, CWSurveys, used internally to record and plot tree assessment data. Services are delivered by a small core team (founder Mike Ellison, Director Adam Whittingham appointed in 2026, and an associate) supported by a network of partner associates enabling national UK coverage.

The business operates a professional-services revenue model with two principal streams. Most engagements are project-based and quoted on a case-by-case basis after scope assessment, including BS5837 surveys for developers, QTRA risk assessments for local authorities, large landowners and golf courses, expert witness work for legal proceedings, and woodland management plans. A second, fixed-price retail channel exists through Mortgage Reports priced at £560+VAT for up to five trees, targeting homeowners and lenders. Pricing is otherwise non-public. The company has strategic alliances with sister company Quantified Tree Risk Assessment Ltd (international QTRA training and certification, co-located at 9 Lowe Street), United Environmental Services (ecology), and Northern Structural Services (civil/structural engineering), forming a one-stop consultancy offering.

Customer segments are deliberately diversified across property developers and construction firms, large landowners and estates (including golf courses and schools), local authorities and housing associations, woodland owners, and a residential long-tail served through mortgage reports. Distribution is sales-led and consultative, driven primarily by professional referrals, the company's informational website, and Mike Ellison's industry reputation, which includes Honorary Life Membership of the International Society of Arboriculture (2004) and the Arboricultural Association's Annual Award for Services to Arboriculture (2005). Mike Ellison has trained more than 2,000 arborists in the QTRA method, reinforcing the firm's position as a recognized authority in tree safety management in the UK.

Name

CHESHIRE WOODLANDS LIMITED

Legal name

Cheshire Woodlands Limited

Website

https://cheshire-woodlands.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cheshire Woodlands is a UK arboricultural consultancy founded in 1978 that delivers tree surveys, QTRA risk assessments, BS5837 planning surveys, woodland management, and expert witness services to developers, local authorities, large landowners, and homeowners across Northwest England, the Midlands, and North Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Macclesfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Professional arboricultural consultancy services provided on a project-by-project basis. Fees quoted per project after scope assessment. Services include tree surveys, risk assessments, expert witness, woodland management, and pest/disease diagnosis.
2. Training Services: Technical seminars and training workshops provided to peers and other professionals on tree-related topics. Training in QTRA method delivered internationally.
3. Fixed-Price Reports: Mortgage reports offered at fixed price of £560+ VAT for up to 5 trees. Provides comprehensive all-risks report for lenders and insurers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cheshire Woodlands provides professional arboricultural consultancy services including BS5837-compliant tree surveys for planning applications, QTRA-based tree inspection and risk assessments, woodland management plans, pest and disease diagnosis, expert witness services, tree preservation order assessments, tree roots and building investigations, and veteran tree management. Services are delivered as direct consulting engagements, with mortgage reports offered at a fixed price of £560+VAT for up to 5 trees.

Product overview

Cheshire Woodlands Limited operates as an arboricultural consultancy offering a unified suite of professional tree management services. The core offering comprises BS5837-compliant tree surveys, QTRA-based risk assessments, pest and disease diagnostics, woodland management, expert witness services, and specialist veteran tree management. Services are delivered as direct consulting engagements rather than a software platform. Key proprietary assets include the QTRA (Quantified Tree Risk Assessment) methodology developed by founder Mike Ellison, and CWSurveys data collection software. Additional supplementary services include mortgage reports, tree preservation order assessments, tree root and building conflict resolution, and coordinated landscape design and ecological services through partner associates. The company operates from Macclesfield, Cheshire, with national UK coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QTRA (Quantified Tree Risk Assessment): A risk assessment methodology developed by Cheshire Woodlands for balancing tree safety with tree benefits, used in 18 countries internationally.

Products and services

• Trees & Development BS5837 Surveys BS5837 compliant tree surveys for planning and development applications, including tree assessment, constraint analysis, impact assessment, and planning support. Target users are property developers, architects, and planners requiring arboricultural input for planning submissions.
• Tree Inspection & Risk Assessment Tree safety risk assessments using the QTRA method to evaluate risks from tree failure and provide proportionate management recommendations. Target users are landowners, local authorities, schools, and estates with duty-of-care obligations for trees.
• Pests & Diseases Diagnosis and management solutions for tree pests and diseases, including field sampling and specialist laboratory culture identification. Target users are landowners and tree managers dealing with suspected pest or disease outbreaks.
• Woodland Management Formulation of woodland management plans including timber valuation, ecological management, and public access considerations. Target users are woodland owners requiring stewardship planning covering timber, ecology, and access.
• Expert Witness Expert witness services for legal proceedings including planning inquiries, civil and criminal court cases involving tree-related disputes, subsidence litigation, and personal injury claims. Target users are solicitors, courts, and parties to disputes involving trees.
• Tree Preservation Orders TPO audit, review, and assessment services for local authorities and property owners affected by tree preservation orders. Target users are local authorities managing TPOs and property owners seeking works to protected trees.
• Tree Roots & Buildings Investigation and assessment of tree root impacts on buildings including subsidence damage evaluation, working with structural engineers and loss adjusters. Target users are insurers, loss adjusters, property owners, and developers affected by tree-related building damage.
• Veteran Tree Management Specialist management of veteran and ancient trees using Natural England Specialist Survey methods, GPS mapping, and ecological impact assessment. Target users are landowners, conservation organisations, and local authorities responsible for veteran trees.
• Mortgage Reports Pre-purchase tree assessment reports for mortgage lenders and insurers, evaluating tree-related risks to properties with trees on or adjacent to the site. Fixed at £560+VAT for up to 5 trees. Target users are lenders, insurers, and homebuyers requiring tree-related property risk reports.
• Other Services (Tree Appraisal, Landscape Design, Ecological Services, Engineered Solutions) Additional consultancy services including tree valuation (Helliwell, CAVAT, CTLA methods), landscape design coordination, ecological surveys via partners, and engineered structural solutions for tree-development conflicts. Target users are developers, landowners, and public bodies requiring supplementary tree and ecology inputs.

Quantifiable outcome

• QTRA method used in 18 countries internationally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Quantified Tree Risk Assessment LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company and strategic partner specializing in QTRA training and certification. Mike Ellison, founder of Cheshire Woodlands, developed the QTRA method. QTRA Ltd hosts extensive calendar of arboricultural training in the UK and internationally. Located at same address: 9 Lowe Street, Macclesfield, SK11 7NJ.
• United Environmental ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcological consultancy partner located at No.1 Booths Park, Chelford Road, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 8QZ. Provides full range of ecological services including Phase 1 Habitat Surveys and species surveys. Works with Cheshire Woodlands on projects requiring environmental impact assessments.
• Northern Structural Services LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural and civil engineering partner located at 1 Prestbury Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 1AU. Established in 1976, registered with Institute of Structural Engineers. Provides engineered solutions for building in vicinity of trees including innovative foundations, suspended slab foundations, and cantilevered steelwork.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bartlett Tree Experts: International tree care company offering arboricultural consulting, risk assessment and tree management services; comparable on risk assessment methodology and tree care delivery, but with a much larger operational footprint and field-services model.
• FPCR Environment and Design: Large multidisciplinary UK environmental planning and design practice offering arboriculture, ecology, landscape and masterplanning; broader portfolio than Cheshire Woodlands but overlapping on BS5837 surveys and environmental impact work.
• ADAS (RSK Group): Large UK agricultural and environmental consultancy providing forestry, arboriculture, pest/disease and land management services; comparable in technical services breadth and public-sector client base, but much larger and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Aspect Tree Consultancy: UK arboricultural consultancy providing BS5837 tree surveys, tree inspections, risk assessments and arboricultural impact assessments to developers and local authorities; a like-for-like competitor in the same niche.
• The Environment Partnership (TEP): UK consultancy providing arboriculture, ecology, landscape and planning services, including BS5837 surveys and tree risk assessment for developers and public-sector clients; directly comparable in service offering.
• Tyler Grange: UK environmental and arboricultural consultancy delivering tree surveys, planning support, landscape and ecological services; comparable on planning-driven BS5837 work and cross-disciplinary environmental consulting.
• Treework Environmental Practice: Long-established UK arboricultural consultancy providing tree surveys, risk assessment, woodland management and expert witness services to local authorities, developers and private clients; closely comparable professional services peer.
• Lockhart Garratt: One of the largest UK arboricultural consultancies offering BS5837 surveys, tree risk management, woodland planning and expert witness services; directly comparable in service mix, customer base and consultancy positioning.

Others

• Arboricultural Association: UK professional body for arboriculture that sets industry standards, registers consultants and runs training; not a competitor but a key ecosystem body that shapes the regulatory and professional standards Cheshire Woodlands operates within.
• Quantified Tree Risk Assessment Ltd (QTRA): Sister company of Cheshire Woodlands commercialising the QTRA method through training and certification; not a competitor but an ecosystem partner that distributes the methodology and shares the founder/Mike Ellison lineage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheshire-woodlands-arboricultural-consultancy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CHESHIRE WOODLANDS LIMITED