Environmental planning and forestry consultancy Lockhart Garratt is celebrating a major milestone in the company’s history – their 20th anniversary.
OVER the last two decades, Lockhart Garratt has grown from two staff to one of the largest consultancies of its kind in the UK, with two offices and 35 staff. With a head office in Corby, the company expanded to additional premises in 2016 opening up a second site in the Oxfordshire town of Chipping Norton.
Set up by current chairman John Lockhart and Graham Garratt in 1998 following a move from local land agents, Samuel Rose, the company has grown both its client base and reputation as a leading specialist in forestry and environmental land management over the last 20 years. The company prides itself on its reputation for offering independent, pragmatic and solution-focused advice, an ethos which has guided the business from the very start.
Meeting the challenges of change
John admits that there have been obstacles to overcome over the last two decades and explains some of the challenges facing our forests, farms and landscapes.
“For many people the landscape appears robust and unchanging, but the reality is sadly very different. The last 20 years have seen the continuation of land management policies that have focussed on production and great intensification. There is now overwhelming evidence that this is not environmentally sustainable.”
John points to issues such as deterioration in the condition and viability of soils, a reduction in biodiversity and an increase in flooding events as evidence of some of the challenges facing the environment.
“The Office of National Statistics predicts an increase in the UK population of approximately 9 million by 2031, and of 15 million by 2051, which adds intense pressures on land for development, in particular new housing, to support a changing demographic as people live longer amongst blended families and social groups,” added John.
Building a loyal team
As Lockhart Garratt has grown the company has amassed a loyal and stable staff, over a third of whom have been with the company for 10 years or more. The team work in a range of associated disciplines including arboriculture, ecology, landscape architecture, forestry, woodland management, land restoration and soils.
The company formally celebrated their significant achievement recently by holding a drinks reception for over 80 clients, staff and supporters in the beautiful environment of historic Holdenby House in Northamptonshire.
John concluded: “It has been a real privilege to work in such an important industry and to help play a part in shaping our future environment for two decades. As Lockhart Garratt enters its third decade, we are seeing a fundamental change in our understanding of the natural environment and its value to both economic prosperity and health and wellbeing.
This Government has set the massively challenging aspiration to ‘leave the environment in a better state than we found it’. The publication of A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment and their Clean Growth strategy sets out how they plan to do this and demonstrate a real step change in attitudes towards the environment. We welcome the challenge of working with our clients and others in the sector to deliver against this challenge and help them to realise the real benefits that will flow from the sustainable and innovative management of land and forests as our most valuable and precious resource.”
For more information about Lockhart Garratt, visit www.lockhart-garratt.co.uk, call Victoria Sherbourne, Marketing Executive 01536 463200.