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You'll need to include an ecological assessment if you're submitting a planning proposal that could impact biodiversity or any protected sites, habitats or species.
Except for some smaller developments or householder applications, most development proposals will have the potential to impact ecology or biodiversity in some way, though this won’t always mean that an ecological assessment is necessary.
You should check to see if your development proposal affects ecology in your local area.
By checking this before you start work, it can help you to:
It's important that ecological surveys are carried out:
by qualified competent personnel
at a specific, appropriate time of year
with enough time to ensure the appropriate level of survey has been carried out before applying for planning permission.
A competent ecological consultant should be employed to carry out the required ecology survey work and reporting. They should have appropriate experience and hold relevant species licences for the types of habitat and species expected to be present.
We are unable to recommend specific ecological consultants, but the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) provides a list of registered practices and ecological consultant members.
A Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) is usually the first survey to be undertaken. The ecologist will assess the habitats and features in and around a site, identify the potential ecological constraints and make recommendations, which may include the need for ecological mitigation measures or for more detailed ecological surveys to be carried out.
The appraisal should be informed by an up-to-date biological records search from the Kent and Medway Biological Records Centre (KMBRC).
Any additional species surveys, as identified in the PEA, need to be undertaken and the results and any necessary mitigation proposals submitted with the planning application.
The surveys and outcomes can be reported as stand-alone survey reports, or by incorporation into an Ecological Impact Assessment report (see tab below).
The results of further surveys are important to inform mitigation strategies and the development proposal’s design, for which you should demonstrate how ecological survey outcomes and recommendations have been incorporated. This also ensures that all the ecological impacts can be addressed in the planning decision, in accordance with government guidance, legislation and planning policy.
The time of year when further surveys can be carried out is often restricted to when species are most active or visible and can also be further constrained by weather conditions. Natural England’s Standing Advice includes a protected species survey timetable for guidance, and your ecological consultant will be able to provide specific advice.
Larger or more complex developments are typically informed by an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA).
This assessment is more detailed than that of a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal. It incorporates the findings of further surveys, an evaluation of the effects of the proposals upon important ecological features and recommends mitigation solutions (avoidance, mitigation and/or compensation measures) to address conclusions regarding the likely impacts on ecological features.
You should demonstrate in your planning submission that mitigation recommendations will be incorporated into your development proposals.
The EcIA should provide enough detail and clarity to ensure planning decisions are based on robust adequate information.
More information about what needs to be included within an EcIA can be found below.
As a statutory consultee for planning applications, Natural England has produced 'standing advice' to help local planning authorities to make planning decisions.
The advice is a material consideration for planning decisions and includes general principles for assessing planning applications and decision-making.
It also includes standing advice for specific protected species and, alongside the Forestry Commission, for ancient woodland, ancient and veteran trees.
