Ecology
Our highly experienced ecologists have the skills, qualifications and licences to deliver on all ecological aspects of client projects across a wide variety of sectors.
W e offer practical advice on ecological constraints and opportunities, to help develop bespoke solutions that balance the needs of our clients with wildlife policy and law. We are based in Gloucester and have exceptional ecological knowledge of the region and have excellent working relationships with the region’s Local Authorities and statutory organisations.
The team are able to react quickly to client demands, delivering timely and accurate ecological survey, site assessment and mitigation plans. We always keep our clients fully informed an in this way avoid any unnecessary delays to project timelines. In this way we ensure the best possible outcome for both the client and wildlife.
All our ecologists are all Full Members of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and CSCS accredited.
What we do
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
We can undertake Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessments for development projects and rewilding projects. The BNG assessment process involves us undertaking a preliminary ecological appraisal plus a conditioned assessment of the habitats to input into the DEFRA BNG metric to allow us to calculate the current BNG value of a site.
We then use the habitat information from the landscaping plans to input into the BNG metric to obtain the proposed BNG value of the site following a development or rewilding scheme. The BNG metric serves as a proxy for recognising the effects on habitats arising from a development or rewilding scheme. It should be noted that biodiversity net gain still relies on the application of the mitigation hierarchy to avoid, mitigate or compensate for biodiversity losses, and is additional to these approaches. In order to achieve positive Biodiversity Net Gain, it is essential that developers engage an ecologist and landscape designer early on in the scheme to ensure that sufficient land can be made available to achieve positive net gain. An Ecological Management Plan is also required to ensure that the desired levels of net gain can be achieved and this is something we can also produce to support BNG projects.
Botanical Surveys
Wild Service’s ecologists have a high level of botanical expertise and knowledge of the region.
NVC
National Vegetation Classification (NVC) survey classifies and maps the vegetation communities within habitats and is therefore more precise than Phase 1 habitat survey in identifying areas of protected habitat. Wild Service ecologists have extensive experience of using the NVC for the purposes of development or conservation-related assessment and management.
Invasive species
A number of non-native species have been recognised as invasive and are listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. These include Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, Rhododendron ponticum and various Cotoneaster species. Wild Service ecologists can rapidly survey sites to identify the presence of any of these species. Should any invasive plant species be identified we will produce a method statement for the schedule of works to ensure that the plants do not spread.
BREEAM Ecology Assessments
BREEAM is a sustainability assessment method for master planning projects, infrastructure and buildings.
Ecology is one of a series of categories included across the BREEAM family of schemes, which aims to encourage identification of ecologically valuable features and opportunities, protection and enhancement of habitats, and mitigation of unavoidable impacts. In particular, it seeks to improve long term ecological outcomes through design and management practices and strategies.
Wild Service’s ecologists are 'suitably qualified' (as per BRE guidelines) to undertake the supporting survey work and provide evidence for BREEAM Ecology Assessment for a wide range of developments.
Working closely with project management and design teams, we help clients to maximise the number of available Eco credits that a project achieves through ensuring appropriate mitigation and ecological enhancements are undertaken. We can either work with the landscape team or can provide landscape advice to ensure that the client achieves the maximum ecological gain possible for the project thereby enabling the desired BREEAM rating to be obtained.
Building with Nature (BWN)
Building with Nature (BWN) Accreditation Scheme
Our consultants have close links to the Building with Nature (BWN) accreditation scheme, which provides a framework of quality standards, an assessment and accreditation service, and national awards recognising the design and delivery of high quality green infrastructure (https://www.buildingwithnature.org.uk/). As a Building With Nature Assessor, Elizabeth can assess projects under the Building with Nature standards that are linked to well-being, water and wildlife. BWN draws from evidence and good practice guidance, design of a high-quality green infrastructure at each stage of the development process, from planning and design, through to long-term management and maintenance. The BWN standards can assist with the planning and development of new places and communities. BWN has an Expert Standards Board whose role is to refresh the standards and update them with changes in legislation, policy and practice.
EcIA and HRA
Ecological Impact Assessment & Habitat Regulations Assessment
EcIA is a process of identifying, quantifying and evaluating potential effects of development-related or other proposed actions on habitats, species and ecosystems and HRA is a process of assessing whether a proposed development will have a ‘Likely Significant Effect’ on European Sites. Wild Service have extensive experience of delivering both types of assessment.
EcIA
EcIA can be used for the appraisal of projects of any scale. This can comprise the ecological component of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or as a best practice evaluation process for smaller scale work. The findings of an EcIA help competent authorities understand ecological issues when determining applications for consent.
HRA
In cases where a proposed development may have significant effects on European Sites the relevant Authority is legally required to undertake a Habitats Regulations Assessment before it can determine the application. Where the integrity of these Sites is likely to be adversely affected the authority can refuse permission. Through early engagement with the design team we seek to demonstrably avoid such likely effect adaptation of design and the formulation of mitigation strategies.
Management Plans
A critical component of most types of new development is the need for the preparation of various Ecological Management Plans.
Management Plans are increasingly requested by local planning authorities to demonstrate that biodiversity Issues have been addressed and that protected species and ecologically sensitive/valuable habitats will be safeguarded through all stages of a development. We work closely with developers and their contractors and landscape designers to ensure newly created habitats and existing habitats are appropriately managed to maximise their biodiversity value in the form of a Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) or Ecological Management Plan/Biodiversity Action Plan. This information can also inform our Biodiversity Net Gain reports.
We also provide advice on development projects and management of sites to minimise the risk of killing/inuring protected species and ensuring sufficient habitat is retained in the development plans for their long-term survival in the form of a Construction Ecological Management Plan (CEMP).
Wild Service have experience of producing a variety of management plans (or varying size) for developers, local planning authorities, conservation bodies and individual clients.
Preliminary Ecological Appraisal
Following the relevant best practice guidelines Wild Service ecologists deliver the appropriate level of ecological survey for each individual project.
This can comprise desk studies, Extended Phase 1 Habitat Surveys, rapid walkover assessments and Initial Building Inspection for bats.
Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey
This type of survey records and maps broad habitat types based on their botanical composition. An assessment is also made for the potential of these habitats to support protected and notable species and the likely impacts of any proposed development.
Recommendations are made for any further surveys, such as protected species as well as for mitigation measures. An Extended Phase 1 Habitat/UKHab Survey can be carried out at any time of year, although the optimal time would be between April and September.
Protected Species Surveys and Mitigation Licence Application
A number of native species are protected by law, making it illegal to kill or disturb a protected species or damage its habitat.
Wild Service's experienced and licensed team of ecologists offer the complete range of ecological surveys to identify potential for or presence of protected species. If present we help our clients find practical and proportionate mitigations measures. We have extensive experience of the following species:
- Badgers
- Bats
- Dormice
- Great crested newts
- Nesting birds
- Reptiles
- Otter
- Water voles
- White-clawed crayfish
For projects where the disturbance of protected species cannot feasibly be avoided it may be necessary to obtain a European Protected Species Licence (EPSL) for those species that are covered under European legislation (e.g. bats, great crested newts, dormice, otters) or Natural England licences to disturb or destroy a badger sett. Wild Service’s ecologists are highly experienced at delivering these licences and helping our clients through this process.
Where there are small numbers of the more frequently found species of bat (e.g. common & soprano pipistrelles), the Bat Mitigation Class Licence (BMCL) offers a quicker and simpler route to obtaining a licence. Only Registered Consultants can prepare these licences, and Elizabeth is a Registered Consultant for BMCL and has successfully applied for licences under this scheme.
Elizabeth also holds a water vole class licence, which permits the intentional damage or destruction of water vole burrows, and/or disturbance to water voles occupying burrows, by use of the mitigation method known as ‘displacement’. This method is used to displace water voles away from areas where potentially harmful operations are planned to take place. It should be noted that this licence may only be relied upon where mitigation works include creation or enhancement of alternative compensatory habitat, such that there will be no net loss for water voles.
Rewilding
Wild Service regularly advise clients ranging from private landowners, developers, councils and NGOs on how to rewild their land by restoring the ecosystem and reinstating natural processes.
Wild Service works with the client to provide targeted advice to ensure that the rewilding scheme is appropriate for the local area and that existing wildlife and any valuable habitats are also considered. Rewilding advice can be in the form of site visit by Wild Service Ecologists and often a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal provides useful background information to inform the rewilding scheme. On certain sites, such as those subject to considerable human disturbance, it is sometimes necessary to devise an ecological management plan to enable the land to be restored to its original condition.
