With any new building development, there will be certain processes to follow to ensure your build can go ahead. Planning permission will need to be acquired, and a vital part of this process is assessing the proposed site for any existence of protected species and habitats.
This guide will cover how protected species can impact planning permission, when to seek an ecology survey with an ecology consultancy, and what’s involved to ensure you are not caught out and follow due diligence during the application process.
If you are planning on any sort of significant build, then you will need to apply for planning permission.
This applies to any of the following:
Constructing a new building
Making extensive changes to an existing building
Adding outbuildings on your land
Any major building changes will need to be passed by the local authority before any building begins. With any new build, considerations need to be made as to how the project could impact the surrounding area. This applies to factors such as noise, blocking natural light, invasions of privacy, safety considerations, as well as the impact on wildlife.
Long before you make your application for planning permission, you will need to look into any potential impacts your building may cause, and provide information as to how you will work to mitigate or avoid that should permission be granted. Failure to address such issues may result in your planning application being refused.
How does ecology impact a planning permission application?
Ecology has become one of the leading factors for local borough councils to consider. It is a local authority’s duty to do what it can to protect the habitats of existing species and ensure habitats and wildlife are protected for years to come. This means you will need to assess for any ecological impact and consider this within your plans wherever necessary.
How do I measure the ecological impact of a development?
To not only identify any existing species but assess how any building work may affect the species, you will need to contact a licensed ecologist. Local planning authorities will only accept documentation provided by ecological surveyors who are licensed in the field of ecology and can provide a thorough, extensive and accurate report.
What can ecological surveyors do?
An ecology surveyor will be able to conduct desk and field surveys to identify the existence of a protected species or habitat. Their findings can be presented in an ecological report. This is written and presented at the end of the process when all surveys are complete and presented to planning authorities.
Ecological reports will include the following:
Whether or not the project will threaten a habitat
Reports of any findings during the initial scoping survey
Any data discovered during the preliminary ecological appraisal
A report on how any building work may affect habitats (ecological impact assessment)
Any mitigation strategies should evidence of species or habitat are found
What is an ecological report?
An ecological report is a final document presented by licensed ecologists providing insight on findings based on the surveys completed on-site. Ecology reports cover every aspect of ecological impact and provide mitigation strategies that can then be presented to local planning authorities.
Why do I need an ecological survey to apply for planning permission?
You will need an ecology survey because there is legislation to protect certain species and habitats around the UK. A build cannot go ahead without necessary mitigation schemes in place, nor without details of how habitat destruction will be avoided, reduced or mitigated. Failure to consider biodiversity impact can result in legal implications, including heavy fines and prison sentences. To add to this, failure to address certain aspects as laid out in planning permission applications can result in your development plan being refused straight away.
Need help? Check out our ecology surveys calendar or enquire about our services.
Failing to apply for planning permission
If you proceed with building development without applying for planning permission you could be classed as carrying out a ‘planning breach’. Should legislation be ignored during a development project, you could be handed an enforcement notice, which will legally require you to demolish the structure. These are illegal to ignore.
If you fail to apply for planning permission before starting a build or begin to build things can get very complicated. There are legal and financial implications, and your project will be substantially delayed, or even refused.
Ignoring the required steps to acquiring planning permission will see your planning application delayed by a lengthy amount of time. This can have a serious knock-on effect on the development project in general, which is why it is so important to carry out an ecology survey as soon as possible. This is so any necessary findings, reports or mitigation strategies can be finalised early on, and be submitted alongside the planning application.
The planning application process
How long do ecology surveys take?
Ecology survey lead times will be dependent on the exact species survey being carried out, as well as the time of year the survey is conducted. Some ecology surveys can take weeks, some can take months. Certain species surveys will need to be carried out at certain times of the year, which can substantially delay any planning applications or building works. This is why it is so essential to conduct an ecology survey and receive an ecology report as early as possible in the project.
Who can carry out an ecology survey?
A licensed ecologist will need to conduct the survey for you. Local authorities will not proceed with an application otherwise. They will provide you with a detailed ecological report to submit alongside your application.
What’s involved in an ecology survey?
First and foremost, an ecologist or team of ecological surveyors will conduct a preliminary ecological appraisal including a Phase 1 Habitat Survey. This is the first step in determining any species on site, and will provide a preliminary ecological appraisal report, which will outline the following:
Details about any habitat found on site
Any potential for species or confirmed species found on site
The significance of these findings on-site and potential impact of development
Any legal or policy issues that could be caused by their presence
The PEA will include a desk study and field study, where data is collected and recorded over a period of time. Any background data regarding the site and potential habitats are also requested and collated at this point.
You can read more in our ecology survey guidelines.
The cost of a preliminary ecological appraisal and ecology report is around £750 - 1,200 (excluding VAT). Additional costs may include the costs of securing desk study data from local record centres. This can typically cost between £100-375 per centre.
What happens if protected species are found on-site?
If a potential presence of species or habitat is found, or clear evidence of habitat is discovered, then an ecological impact assessment will need to be undertaken. If the previous ecological report is sufficient and provides a thorough assessment of findings from the survey, then the report will be upgraded to an ecological impact assessment.
An ECIA interprets the survey data findings to give insight into the magnitude and significance of any habitat loss. The assessment will also look at residual impacts and mitigation, which will discuss measures to avoid, reduce or compensate for any impacts caused by the development. The ecological impact assessment report will give all stakeholders all the information they need about a potential project and can provide suitable solutions to allow the build to go ahead.
Read more here about the costs of an ecological impact assessment.
Request a quote for an EcIA or talk to our team today to find out how we can help you.