Before any building work can take place, as a property developer, you’re legally responsible for conducting a number of ecological surveys. These surveys are designed to investigate the impact that your proposed development would have on the local community, wildlife and the environment at large. It’s only after this survey that you’re likely to receive permission for your proposed development. So let’s get into it.
Do I really need to carry out an ecological survey?
As a developer, you must carry out an ecology survey on any site that might house an ecosystem or habitat for a protected species like heathland, any body of water, parkland, woodland, areas with existing derelict buildings, caves or coastal areas. Essentially, any area that you plan to develop on will need a survey carrying out to assess the environmental impact of what you’re proposing.
These ecological surveys are important; they make you aware of any potential ecological constraints from the offset. Development plans can be adjusted accordingly to limit your impact on the biodiversity. You can find a workaround without having to halt your plans.
The process
Ecological surveys often have two stages. A preliminary ecological appraisal is conducted first. This tends to be a quick walk over and a desk study to look for any initial signs of wildlife on the site or a history of wildlife in the area. There are a few species and habitats that take priority, thanks to the Biodiversity Action Plan of 2013. If no evidence is found, then no further surveys are needed and the findings can be submitted alongside the planning application. However, if the initial survey does turn something up, then it’s necessary to move on to phase two. Again, the survey needs to be carried out before planning permission is sought or granted.
The second phase of the process is an assessment of the ecological impact of the proposed development on the area. This approach does tend to depend on what species have been found during the initial findings. For example, it could be reptiles, rodents or bats. In fact, 24Housing has some excellent resources, including key facts about bat surveys that you should check out. This report is more detailed, and it essentially outlines the potential effect that a development would have on the existing species or habitats that have been found in the area. It takes the findings from the preliminary ecological appraisal and builds upon them. Failure to carry out this phase of the process if you need to often means that the development process will be halted. The report produced is used to devise mitigation strategies or solutions that then allow the development to go ahead.
The entire process does hinge on several factors, and they’re often constrained by the seasons – which can lead to delays here and there. For example, the initial walk-through can be carried out whenever, but if it is discovered that the species dwelling there are nocturnal or prone to hibernation, then the second phase has to wait until the best time to collect more definitive evidence. In addition, the cost of the survey can fluctuate depending on the size of the area, the findings and the solutions offered.
The consequences of not carrying out the survey
As mentioned above, there are several consequences that you could be on the hook for if you fail to carry out an ecological survey. Firstly, legal proceedings. If you continue with your development and disrupt or destroy the habitat of a protected species, then you can be punished. The penalties do vary from a fine to jail time.
There’s also the cost to the project. Not carrying out the survey in time could lead to setbacks and drive up the cost of the project. It could also increase your chance of encountering costly problems down the line. And finally, starting your development without the necessary information on the local wildlife could lead to irreparable damage to the ecosystem. In causing this damage, your reputation could suffer, and business as a whole impacted.
Types of survey
When it comes to ecology surveys, there are two main types. Firstly, there’s the animal survey which, as you can guess, looks for animals of all types, which includes reptiles, bats, otters, badgers, birds, rodents or any other notable species in the area. There are also botanical surveys that look for species of plant, some of which are rarer than others and some of which are more likely to cause problems when it comes to construction. Which variation you need will depend on the plot itself and what you’re more likely to find in the immediate vicinity.
BREEAM assessments
BREEAM assessments or building research establishment environmental assessment method is carried out to establish a calculation of how much the ecological value of the site will change and whether the value can be enhanced. The assessment also provides you with recommendations on how you can protect the ecological features on-site as well as the long-term impact on the biodiversity of the area. They’re often used to develop a management plan for the development itself.
It helps to mitigate and manage the risks to the development, in addition to being invaluable when it comes to maximising your return on investment by keeping the costs down. Finally, it allows you to demonstrate more sustainability when planning the project, through the design elements and construction too. This is something that you often need to outsource unless, again, you have a qualified member of staff on your team to carry this out.
The bottom line
To put it simply, a development cannot progress without an ecology survey. They provide an invaluable insight into the plot that you plan to develop on as well as being a legal requirement. They can also help you to avoid wasting money or making costly mistakes that could jeopardise the whole project. You need to do your research to ensure that all areas of your development are legally compliant in order to avoid serious repercussions.
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