Sector: Timber Harvesting
Volume of works: Approximately 10,000 tonnes of standing timber sale
Contract duration: Delivered over a 12-month programme
Euroforest supported a major open habitat restoration project at Woolmer Forest, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC), forming part of the Wealden Heaths Phase II Special Protection Area (SPA).
The project involved mechanised timber harvesting to restore and enhance open habitats, including clearing plantations, thinning woodland to create a wood pasture structure and establishing a network of heathland corridors. Additional works included extracting harvesting residues to roadside and providing a timber chipping service.
Delivering timber harvesting operations at Woolmer Forest required careful coordination within a complex and sensitive environment.
The site is used for military training, including activities of national strategic importance, meaning harvesting operations had to be planned around changing training schedules and strict safety requirements. The site was also open to the public, requiring measures to manage access and minimise risks to visitors.
Alongside these operational constraints, the project involved sensitive archaeological features that needed to be protected throughout the works. Maintaining accurate timber stock records and providing regular updates on timber products were also important to support the client's management of the harvesting programme.
Euroforest adopted a collaborative and flexible approach, combining detailed planning, ongoing communication and site-specific controls to deliver the harvesting operations safely and efficiently.
The harvesting programme included clearfelling plantations to create open habitat, thinning areas to establish a wood pasture structure and creating a network of heathland corridors. Harvesting residues were also extracted to roadside, with a chipping service provided as part of the project requirements.
Close liaison with the client was central to the delivery of the works. Multiple planning meetings were held to coordinate harvesting phases with military training activities, identify restricted areas and agree designated zones for extraction, timber stacking and roadside haulage.
Weekly planning meetings brought together the relevant site departments, including the camp and safety training teams and the client's facilities management company. These meetings allowed the team to review upcoming operations, respond to changes in training schedules and address potential conflicts before they affected delivery.
Given the site's continued public access and military use, robust signage and clearly defined work boundaries were maintained throughout the project.
Contractors carried out daily checks and adjusted work perimeters as required, sometimes making multiple changes in a single day. Advance signage informed visitors about the nature, duration and likely impact of the works, while prohibition signs, barrier tape and banksmen were used where additional controls were necessary. Diversions were also introduced on popular routes where practical alternatives were available.
Sensitive archaeological areas were identified during planning, with approved working methods established in collaboration with the client. Risk zones and appropriate working procedures helped protect these features while allowing harvesting operations to progress.
Regular updates on roadside timber stocks and product breakouts were provided throughout the programme, giving the client visibility of harvesting progress and the volumes and types of timber produced.
Euroforest delivered a complex mechanised harvesting programme designed to support open habitat restoration while accommodating military training, public access and archaeological constraints.
Through detailed forward planning, regular stakeholder communication and adaptable site management, the project enabled harvesting operations to progress within a challenging environment while maintaining appropriate safety and environmental controls.
The project demonstrates Euroforest's ability to coordinate large-scale timber harvesting operations where commercial requirements must be balanced with conservation objectives, operational safety and the needs of multiple site users.
