Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey

The most basic form of ecological assessment or ecology report is the Phase 1 Habitat Survey. On your behalf, Arbtech can undertake this survey at any time of year and is designed to catalogue and map the various ecological receptors e.g. habitats and or protected species within your site, and is undertaken to the national guidance standard set out in the JNCC (1990) handbook for Phase 1 Habitat Survey, a technique for environmental audit.

Timely advice and cost effective reports from habitat surveyors

Our Phase 1 Habitat Surveys are extremely cost effective as we provide reports, that are ‘positive recording’ only. This means you don’t end up paying a fortune for a suitably qualified ecologist to write a 30 page report, only to conclude that no further surveys are necessary. We achieve this by having a no-negative-recording policy. If something is not present on your site, we omit it completely from the report. The net result is a logical, concise and factual report that presents observation of evidence, along with recommendations and little more besides. If you don’t have bats, we don’t include 10 pages about planning policy, species ecology and the law about bats. If you don’t have reptiles, we don’t include 10 pages about planning policy, species ecology and the law about reptiles… and so on. You get the idea.

Extended Phase 1 Survey for Habitats by Leading Ecologists

This extended element builds on the standard phase 1 survey by including species lists and providing details on species such as amphibians, badgers, bats birds and reptiles which may be utilizing the site, and are protected by law. Statutes, which promote the conservation of habitats and species, include e.g. the EC Habitats Directive, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Habitats Regulations 2010; latterly which transpose the Directive in the UK. Relatively recently, lawmakers have recognized the importance of biodiversity and the damage that centuries of uncontrolled development has done to our native habitats and wildlife. Because of this reversal of trend, certain species are protected from deliberate harm and others, so-called European protected species, have their habitats protected as well as the animal itself—essentially the disturbance constitutes an offence as much as say, killing or injury of protected species.

Detailed protected species surveys

Resulting from our Habitat Survey, occasionally and uniquely dependent upon your site’s characteristics, more detailed protected species surveys can be recommended. These protected species surveys can be used to inform the development layout and or for designing mitigation proposals for habitat loss or biodiversity enhancements. Alternatively, the information gained from an Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey can be used to produce an Ecological Management Plan that provides guidance on measures that can be implemented in order to enhance the wildlife value of the site. Reports can also be updated to help designers achieve Land Use and Ecology credits under the BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes accreditation schemes.

Ecology and Land Use Reports for BREEAM

In summary then, as Phase 1 Habitat Survey will highlight the ecological planning risks of your site, so knowing this information at an early stage is likely to save you time and money. It undoubtedly helps you avoid the need for tight timescale surveys, programme delays and unnecessary or unsubstantiated objections to your planning application.

To have a friendly chat with an expert, or to arrange a no obligation quote, call 08450 176950 and ask to speak with Martin O’Connor or Robert Oates.

References:

JNCC (2010), Handbook for Phase 1 Habitat Survey – a technique for environmental audit, Joint Nature Conservation Committee