Ecological Assessment and Mitigation

We offer a full range of ecological survey and assessment services, including Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, all protected species surveys and more complex Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA). Our large team of local ecological experts are fully compliant with current best practice and will always recommend the most appropriate and pragmatic course of action based on the specific environmental conditions at each site.

EcIA has traditionally been required for large, complex development projects as part of an EIA, however recent guidelines published by the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) recommend that the EcIA methodology also be adopted for smaller scale projects. EcIA provides a useful tool for assessing ecological effects before and after mitigation is applied, and includes the evaluation of the baseline ecological value of a site, an assessment of impacts in the absence of mitigation, implementation of the mitigation hierarchy and an assessment of residual effects once mitigation is applied. We are able to provide expert EcIA support for both EIA and non-EIA projects of all sizes.

The design of appropriate ecological mitigation is a fundamental requirement for all development projects. We are able to provide support for all aspects of mitigation design and implementation, including application of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid; mitigate; compensate), design of biodiversity net gain, bespoke mitigation for protected species and all aspects of protected species licensing. We also have in-house habitat design and creation expertise.