Environmental support for development and planning.
Local Planning Authorities are increasingly requiring ecological phase 1 habitat surveys and land contamination assessments to accompany planning applications for new dwellings. Other developments may also need a land contamination assessment where contamination is known, suspected, or the proposed use would be particularly vulnerable. Similarly Phase 1 habit or other specialist surveys may be required in certain sensitive areas or where rare or endangered species are likely to be present. Ecospan Environmental's background of undertaking contaminated land investigations and delivering ecological surveys makes us well suited to provide you with the information required for your planning and development projects.
Extended Phase 1 Habitat Surveys
The aim of Phase 1 surveys is to provide, relatively rapidly, a record of the vegetation and wildlife habitat over a large area. For planning and development purposes it is often necessary to use this methodology in more detail over a smaller area (an Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey). A desk based assessment of environmental data for a site, supported by a walk over survey enables habitat types to be defined in accordance with JNCC guidelines. In addition to this, the assessment will identify the presence, or potential presence, of protected species and highlight whether further surveys are required.
Protected Species
Where the existence of protected species e.g. Great Crested Newt, Water voles, Bats, Dormouse, Badgers etc is known or suspected it is likely that more detailed specialist surveys will be required. Ecospan Environmental can identify the surveys you require (as part of the phase 1 habitat survey) and provide trained and licensed Ecologists to undertake them. After completion of the survey, project reports are produced advising on the results and, where necessary, what mitigation measures may be required.
Land Contamination Surveys
Ecospan Environmental has considerable experience of contaminated land investigations. The initial assessment consists of a desk based study followed by a site visit to identify potential risks. This information is then used to develop a conceptual model that considers source, pathway and receptor to undertake a risk assessment for land contamination on that site. In most cases, this will provide sufficient information to enable planning applications to be validated. Where necessary, the initial investigation may also identify possible mitigation measures, which may remove the requirement for secondary and more expensive investigations.
Where the phase 1 investigation identifies the need for further characterisation of any contamination, Ecospan Environmental have the specialist equipment and expertise to complete the secondary intrusive investigations required. The principal tool for such investigations is the Geoprobe DT54. This tracked vehicle is highly manoeuvrable enabling sampling of soil, soil gas and groundwater at inaccessible locations.
