We have considerable experience in producing ecological assessment/appraisal reports for proposed developments sites suitable for planning applications. The report includes the ecological baseline information (comprising desk study data and the results of the Extended Phase-1 habitat survey/ecological walk-over survey), an assessment of the ecological value of the site, a summary of the potential impacts (negative and positive, i.e. constraints and opportunities) of the development on the ecology of the site and recommendations for mitigation, compensation, enhancement and further Phase-2 ecological surveys, as appropriate. Maps for the reports are produced in a standard computer graphics software package.
The Ecological Baseline Information Within the Report
The desk study involves consultation with statutory and non-statutory nature conservation organisations such as Natural England and local biological records centres, and a review of websites such as the Multi-Agency Geographic Information (Magic) website and the National Biodiversity Network (nbn) Gateway website, to provide any previous information of designated nature conservation sites (such as nationally important Sites of Special Scientific Interest, SSSI and county important Local Wildlife Sites, LWS) and records of protected species for the development site and vicinity.
The initial ecological assessment/ appraisal (comprising an Extended Phase-1 habitat survey/ecological walk-over survey and desk study) provides early warning of the potential ecological issues that need to be considered. This will help inform decision-making regarding development programmes and design.