We recognise the need to incorporate an understanding of ecological systems in our services, and so we maintain a full range of ecology and biodiversity expertise.
Since the UK government introduced mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) in England most developments must demonstrate a minimum of a 10% percentage increase in biodiversity, as measured by the Biodiversity Metric. Developers must follow a set of key steps and produce all required deliverables. From feasibility, through implementation, to long-term monitoring plans, our teams can guide you on each step of the process to ensure you meet or exceed BNG requirements and ambitions.
- Preparation: BNG should be considered as early as possible in a project’s design and development stages to maximise opportunities and identify possible risks. The preparation phase should involve a high-level assessment of likely BNG requirements, as defined in local policy, as well as the specific environmental and ecological characteristics of the site.
- Design: Asset design should integrate and protect biodiversity wherever possible. Habitat design decisions including species selection, connectivity and location, should be optimised according to site characteristics and the objectives of the project. For example, if the primary aim of a project is to improve flood management in an area, its asset design could consciously employ nature-based solutions. At the same time, these habitats would need to enable water retention and be resilient to wet conditions. A crucial part of the process is to incorporate stakeholder input, design for climate change and embed BNG within design and construction handover documents.
- Implementation: The implementation phase is typically the construction of a project. This should involve protecting habitats for retention, enhancing and planting on-site habitats according to the BNG design, and finalising agreements with off-site BNG providers.
- Maintenance and management: Legally, BNG must be maintained for a minimum of 30 years. That involves a detailed plan for how the habitats will be monitored and managed in the long-term. Typically, that will include provisions for immediate aftercare of newly planted habitats, ongoing maintenance and the application of adaptive management for the duration of the plan.
We have sound practical experience in balancing ecology and development needs to deliver projects in the UK and other countries. Our services provide support from concept design to post-project monitoring and evaluation and are typically delivered as part of an integrated multidisciplinary environmental, planning and design team.
We offer ecological services to public and private sector clients for a wide range of developments. We deliver projects that integrate issues such as ecology, landscape, stakeholder aspirations and planning guidance. We work in a pragmatic way to deliver the best solution for a particular situation, advising on the requirements of legislation and setting out approaches to facilitate project progress.
Our expertise
No matter what stage you are in your development or BNG process, our experts provide tailored guidance and advice. As well as terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecologists, we employ specialist biologists, ornithologists, experts in particular species and environmental scientists. Their experience includes:
- Biodiversity action plans and designs, including economic business cases, xost estimates and 30-year management and monitoring plans
- BNG feasibility assessments, including local BNG market assessments, demand and supply for off-site units and market conditions
- Biodiversity metric calculations
- Integrating climate resilience and carbon sequestration into BNG
- Ecological field surveys (as part of EIAs or for due diligence assessment)
- Ecological management plans for both construction works and operation
- Ecological mitigation
- Habitat creation
- Phase 1 Habitat Survey and protected species surveys
- Translocation of protected species
Many jurisdictions require personnel who survey, handle and translocate protected species to be licensed; in these instances we prefer to employ our own licensed staff – many of our staff add to their species licences as part of CP.
No matter what stage you are in your development or BNG process, our experts provide tailored guidance and advice. As well as terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecologists, we employ specialist biologists, ornithologists, experts in particular species and environmental scientists. Their experience includes:
- Biodiversity action plans and designs, including economic business cases, xost estimates and 30-year management and monitoring plans
- BNG feasibility assessments, including local BNG market assessments, demand and supply for off-site units and market conditions
- Biodiversity metric calculations
- Integrating climate resilience and carbon sequestration into BNG
- Ecological field surveys (as part of EIAs or for due diligence assessment)
- Ecological management plans for both construction works and operation
- Ecological mitigation
- Habitat creation
- Phase 1 Habitat Survey and protected species surveys
- Translocation of protected species
Many jurisdictions require personnel who survey, handle and translocate protected species to be licensed; in these instances we prefer to employ our own licensed staff – many of our staff add to their species licences as part of CP.
Our track record
We work for a wide range of clients and projects in the UK and around the world.
- As part of the Sheffield Building Schools for the Future programme we surveyed 14 schools, and produced an ecological and landscaping design for each school which enabled the client to obtain a full complement of BREEAM credits in ecology and landscape.
- We've carried out a study of the biodiversity of the major oilfields areas of Iraq, to help our client Shell with environmental management in the country.
- As part of an environmental impact assessment for the proposed new Stoke road bridge over a rail line in Kent, UK. We undertook Stage 1 and Stage 2 Habitats Regulations Assessment for evaluating the likely impacts on two key European designated ecological sites immediately adjacent.
- On behalf of WWF we've supported a programme for the conservation of the Snow Leopard in Mongolia,whose habitat is under threat from development.
- We helped the port of Ngqura, South Africa, to develop a pesticide-free pest control system based on the use of local raptors.
- At Bramford Substation, UK, we pioneered the use of infra-red motion cameras to monitor badger setts. Inactive setts could be removed without a licence (following consultation with Natural England). Removing the need for a costly license application represented a cost saving to the client.
We work for a wide range of clients and projects in the UK and around the world.
- As part of the Sheffield Building Schools for the Future programme we surveyed 14 schools, and produced an ecological and landscaping design for each school which enabled the client to obtain a full complement of BREEAM credits in ecology and landscape.
- We've carried out a study of the biodiversity of the major oilfields areas of Iraq, to help our client Shell with environmental management in the country.
- As part of an environmental impact assessment for the proposed new Stoke road bridge over a rail line in Kent, UK. We undertook Stage 1 and Stage 2 Habitats Regulations Assessment for evaluating the likely impacts on two key European designated ecological sites immediately adjacent.
- On behalf of WWF we've supported a programme for the conservation of the Snow Leopard in Mongolia,whose habitat is under threat from development.
- We helped the port of Ngqura, South Africa, to develop a pesticide-free pest control system based on the use of local raptors.
- At Bramford Substation, UK, we pioneered the use of infra-red motion cameras to monitor badger setts. Inactive setts could be removed without a licence (following consultation with Natural England). Removing the need for a costly license application represented a cost saving to the client.