About Us

Established in 2012 in Catterick, North Yorkshire as Powerline Surveying Ltd by the current directors Jason Smith and Nichola Cockerill Smith. The company primarily provided a bolt on service for utility companies, surveying overhead line networks and various other infrastructure assets with a major focus on trees and vegetation that could compromise the overhead line infrastructure and safety.

Due to Jasons extensive industry experience as an arborist, utility arb surveying inevitably led the company moving back into the practical side of things and expansion soon followed into all aspects of arboriculture, landscaping, fencing and many other land based projects.

Fast forward to the present and PLS Group UK. We work with our clients to find the safest, most efficient methods of completing their projects. Be it arboricultural works or any other land based project, our experienced team and machinery are able to hit any deadline and deliver on budget, every time.

PLS Group UK is now a multi-skilled organisation meaning you only need to deal with one company for all your arboricultural and land based projects!

Please click the links and check out our home page for a more in depth idea of what we do.

Contact us today to help us plan and deliver your next project!

Management Team

Bringing years of experience in the arboricultural sector together to deliver your project

Jason Smith- Director

Jason has worked in the Utility/ Commercial arboriculture and Construction industry for over 25 years. Jason began work as an arborist in the power line sector and ascended through to managing teams on various contracts throughout the UK. His versatility and ability to adapt has helped to deliver a varied range of projects over the years.

Along with the management team at PLS, he's still delivering the same great service today.

In June 2012 Jason launched Powerline Surveying Ltd, which has gone from strength to strength carrying out vegetation and asset surveys across the UK for various blue-chip clients.

2014 saw the start of the vegetation management sister company Brookside Tree Services supplying resource to various commercial clients clearing vegetation on OHLs, Rail and Highways, Landscaping, Fencing and Forestry maintenance. Brookside has been around since 1970 originally formed by Alan Smith, Jason’s Father. This arm of the company now also delivers training to the Land Based Sector, Tree and Ecology Surveys.

2019 – Jason launched PLS Group UK with a new Management team bringing both Brookside and Powerline under the PLS Group UK banner, allowing it to deliver a complete service to clients.

Nichola Cockerill Smith- Director

Nichola joined Jason after having run a fashion boutique for several years in the market town of Richmond North Yorkshire ‘Erica Dillon’.

Nichola brings a wealth of business knowledge with her managing the Finance and Accounts within the company.

Mark Hilton – Compliance and Delivery Manager

A qualified arborist, trainer and arboricultural surveyor, Mark has over 35 years of practical experience in the arboriculture and forestry sectors. After completing his inital studies at the then national school of forestry, Newton Rigg, he specialised in arboriculture, become a climbing arborist working for many companies in and around the city of Manchester. He went on to own and run a successful business in the domestic sector specialising in the pruning and removal of trees with difficult access. At PLS His focus is ensuring we exceed our clients expectations through our high standards of professionalism, compliance, customer service and quality.

Matthew Hardman - Field Manager

Matthew is our man in the field and the direct link between our field operatives and management team. He has extensive experience in personnel management, after a long and distinguished military career culminating at the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major. His pro-active and positive approach and attention to detail ensure the safe and efficient delivery of all our projects

Accreditations