About CREST@UCS

The Centre for Research into Environmental Science and Technology is a partnership between University of Chester, Reaseheath College and University of Birmingham. It was set up to develop and increase the productivity of businesses in the area, specifically those that want to focus on their environmental credentials.

An investment of almost £1.2 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and almost £800,000 from the University of Chester led to the development of the centre. It focuses on innovation and R&D support for the Marches’ SMEs, with the aim of addressing the Marches’ productivity challenges.

The centre works with SMEs and start-ups in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. Support is provided through research and specialist advice, helping SMEs to develop innovative ideas and products before bringing them to market.

Delivery partners

ERDF Funded Project: Environmental Science Business Research Centre 36R17P01462

Industry Advisory Panel

CREST is supported by an Industry Advisory Panel who provide recommendations, independent advice, information and direction to the project. The panel consists of experts from all areas of industry including environmental, manufacturing, consultancy, energy, and the council. More information about individual members of the panel is provided below.

Anne Wheeler

Anne Wheeler

Chair

Anne was the Chair of the Severn Rivers Trust from January 2019 until March 2022, and was the Defra appointed Chair of the English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee from April 2012 to June 2018.

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She is currently a Forestry Commission appointed member of the West Midlands Forestry and Woodland Advisory Committee.

Anne has a degree and PhD in Environmental Science and was a principal lecturer in Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Wolverhampton. Anne was also Director of Learning Innovation and Professional Practice at Aston University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Neil Dady

Neil Dady

IAP Member

Neil is a founding director of EVORA EDGE and has over 25 years’ experience in building services engineering and has worked in the contracting, services and consultancy sectors with experience at DTZ amongst others.

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He heads up EVORA EDGE’s business operations and engineering consultancy services. 

He has numerous qualifications and expertise in building services systems, low carbon consultant and energy management  

Matthew Farmer

Matthew Farmer

IAP Member

Matthew is currently employed by Shropshire Council as Environmental Resources and Public Health Manager.

Hannah Fraser

Hannah Fraser

IAP Member

Hannah is an Environmental Consultant working from Shrewsbury, Shropshire and providing professional, independent advice in contaminated land and hydrogeology.

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She currently works as an independent environmental consultant working with public and private sector organisations across the UK and internationally, either directly or as a sub-consultant to other environmental professionals.

Hannah first began work as an environmental consultant after completing an MSc in 1996, and has worked across a broad range of projects both nationally and internationally. She has worked as a hydrogeologist for several companies, rising to Technical Director and then Director level before starting her own consultancy in 2011. She now employs a small team of groundwater specialists working across the UK.

Hannah’s experience includes contaminated land assessment and remediation, human health and environmental risk assessment, mining and quarrying hydrogeology, and groundwater resource assessment and development.

Richard Grindle

Richard Grindle

IAP Member

Richard joined the Shropshire Wildlife Trust in November 2020 as Chief Executive Officer. This follows six years with London Wildlife Trust, and before that various overseas NGOs.

Jon Haycox

Jon Haycox

IAP Member

Jon works at the Environment Agency in the Flood Model Data Improvement Programme.

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His work involves delivering wide ranging improvements to how Flood Model Data is managed within the Agency through the whole lifecycle. He has experience working in the private sector for an environmental data company supporting innovation and product development, reporting on environmental risk and managing environmental data sets.

Jon completed an MSc Geographic Data Science at the University of Liverpool in 2017 which nurtured his GIS, spatial analysis and statistics skills. He has a numerate degree with an academic background in a wide range of environmental and earth science areas.

Jon is Chair of the Shrewsbury Geospatial Group, a networking forum initiated by CREST to bring together academia, and the private and public sectors. The group opens opportunities for innovation and collaboration using geospatial data and raises the profile of geospatial businesses in the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin areas.

Mike Morris

Mike Morris

IAP Member

Mike has over 16 years’ experience working in biodiversity restoration for NGOs, local government and private business.

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Previously the Chief Executive Officer of the Severn Rivers Trust, he is currently Head of Programme for NatureMetrics leading eBioAtlas, a global biodiversity monitoring programme using innovative environmental DNA technology. Mike is a member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.
Guy Pluckwell

Guy Pluckwell

IAP Member

Guy received an MSc Honours degree in Environmental Science and Geology from Oxford Brookes University.

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His early career saw him working as a gold exploration geologist in Australia followed by a period working for a hydrogeology consultant in the UK. He is currently employed as a Catchment Co-ordinator for the Environment Agency where he’s worked for 18 years.

His current role involves working with a broad range of partners and local stakeholder to develop and enable the delivery of multi beneficial water environment projects in the upper part of the Severn Basin. Guy is currently involved in many different projects working alongside with many different partners.

Examples of projects that Guy has been involved in include:

  • Love Your River Telford – through hard work and a creative and innovative approach, Guy has oversaw the development of this successful award winning multi partner project creating a model for addressing urban water quality now replicated across the UK and beyond.
  • REAction – Guy co-created this rural water environment project which has helped create a focus on a previously neglected catchment.
  • Severn Valley Water Management Scheme – Guy has now joined this project to help deliver multi beneficial improvements on a large scale across the upper Severn catchment
Matt Potts

Matt Potts

IAP Member

Matt is Business Growth and Investment Services Manager for Shropshire Council, heading up Invest in Shropshire.

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Matt leads four teams within the Economic Growth Service, focusing on growing the reputation of Shropshire for investment and business activity. This includes leading on the delivery of key account management, inward investment, business support through the Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, external funding and skills and careers development.
Richard Sheehan

Richard Sheehan

IAP Member

Richard is the Chief Executive Officer of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, heading up a team of passionate individuals who are totally committed to supporting the Shropshire Business Community and developing economic growth.

Mandy Stoker

Mandy Stoker

IAP Member

Mandy is the founding director of E4environment (est. 1999), an environmental consultancy specialising in, sustainable practices in business, waste management and renewable energy for both private and public sector clients.  

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She has a background in the farm and food sector, has worked on large scale waste strategies and in the past 20 years been involved in the development of around 50 Anaerobic Digestion sites.

The company strives to make environmental performance and sustainable practices accessible to a wide audience.  She developed Wasteconnect (the first site search for recyclables), Green Achiever (a green scheme for businesses) and more recently with her team, won a sustainable growth award, at the Sustainability West Midlands annual conference, for “Kanopi, a platform to help large organisations to work with their suppliers and customers to achieve a common goal.

She recently completed her PhD studying soil biology and the benefits of cover crops.

Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson

IAP Member

Mark stands at the forefront of one of the fastest moving technology industry trends: Battery Specialised Products & Renewable Energy particularly Battery Energy Storage Systems.

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Mark co-founded AceOn Group in 2010 with his business partner (father) Gerald Thompson. Now in its eleventh year, the company is experiencing rapid and continuous growth. At AceOn, Mark has put together his vision for a whole circular economy, bringing together product, installation, a Virtual Power Plant platform to make the batteries work smarter and harder, servicing, training and recycling – making AceOn a one-stop solution provider.

He’s spent the past five years passionately advocating a commercial/ industry-wide shift to energy storage. 

The Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), UK Government funded research and innovation programme, appointed Mark to its advisory group in July 2021.

Andy Whyle

Andy Whyle

IAP Member

Andy is Chair of IEMA’s Circular Economy Network and Sustainability Consultant for S-AW;

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A proven leading sustainability practitioner on a local, national and international basis, he is a subject matter expert on the circular economy and has a thorough understanding of strategic long term goals for sustainability.

Andy’s objective is to encourage environmental best practice; demonstrating to businesses, academia and policy makers that environmental impact reduction and commercial benefits are synonymous with sustainability, being widely achievable through collaboration.