Surveys & Impact Assessment

Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) incorporates a desk-top study, a Phase 1 Habitat Survey  and what has been  variously described as ‘baseline survey’, ‘walkover survey’, or ‘ecological scoping survey’ techniques.

Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) evaluates the potential effects of defined actions on ecosystems or their components through habitat surveys and surveys of species protected by national and European legislation or considered to be of particular nature conservation importance. EcIA can either form a stand-alone report or a chapter within an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a formal process that has to be undertaken for certain development projects depending on scale, sensitivity of site, and nature of proposal. Whilst EIA covers a range of environmental issues including transport, water quality, noise, landscape etc, it is often underpinned by habitat, vegetation and protected species surveys. The process also requires effective consultation with statutory nature conservation bodies and other stakeholders.

Phase 2 Vegetation surveys use a variety of methodologies including the National Vegetation Classification (NVC), now accepted as a core standard by all agencies. In addition we use other techniques to analyse vegetation and other ecological features in special circumstances including hedgerow surveys, river habitat surveys, aquatic macrophyte surveys, lower plant surveys and invasive plant surveys.

Protected species surveys are a legal requirement if initial surveys suggest that any of the species listed in Article 12 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (Habitats Regulations 2010) and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) is present on a development site