Ecology Surveys

What are ecology surveys?

If you’ve been asked to provide an Ecology survey with your application it is likely that the Local Authority requires an Ecological Scoping Survey, Preliminary Ecological Appraisal or Ecological Impact Assessment. These surveys will identify the broad habitats within your site and assess the likelihood for protected/invasive species to present.

Why do I need an ecology survey?

The information collected during an ecology survey is required by the Local Planning Authority to demonstrate that a proposed development is not at risk of impacting protected habitats, species, or nearby conservation sites.

How will I receive this information?

As each application is different, Simlaw Ecology’s friendly and professional team will keep in close contact with you throughout the process. We ensure that the work undertaken and the resulting report are exactly fit for purpose, no more or less than what is required for you to achieve planning permission. The service is designed to deliver a single report which will provide the Local Planning Authority with all the ecological information they require to determine your application.

Reports we produce include:

• Ecological Scoping Survey for smaller sites, or those with lower impacts)
• Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (sites which, after the habitat survey, require no further protected species surveys)
• Ecological Impact Assessment (Sites where protected species surveys have been carried out)

All reports are written in compliance with the latest guidelines on ecological reporting and industry good practice.

When do I need to schedule an ecology survey?

Ecology surveys can be carried out at any time of the year. However, the ecology survey should be booked early in the project timeline. This is to ensure that any necessary Phase 2 Protected Species surveys can be carried out at the appropriate time of year, without causing disruption to the development schedule.

Contact us now to book a survey…