Ecological impact assessments
Enhancing your biodiversity
An ecological impact assessment (EcIA) is a formal part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The British Standard for Biodiversity, BS42020:2013 Biodiversity – Code of practice for planning and development, defines an ecological impact assessment (EcIA) as:
At ADAS, our experienced ecology consultants take a pragmatic approach to the EcIA process
We aim to give our clients early warning of any potential issues to ensure sufficient consideration is given. This avoids any last-minute problems as the submission date nears.
We also have a dedicated EIA team and can provide specialist planning input and coordinate the entire EIA process if required.
The EcIA process
Understanding your site’s ecology
The EcIA process starts with gaining a detailed understanding of the site’s ecology through survey work.
This starts with a preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA), comprising a desk study and an extended Phase 1 habitat survey. The PEA identifies if any further ecology surveys are required for protected species or habitats. Information gathered is used early in the development process to inform design.
Assess the nature conversation value
The baseline information gathered during the PEA enables us to assess the nature conservation value of the site. We grade each ecological component of the site on a scale of ‘negligible’ to ‘international importance’.
We recommend an ecological programme
The impact the development will have on each ecological component will determine its magnitude. From there, we recommend a programme of avoidance and protection or mitigation and compensation to avoid or reduce any ecological impacts. This is then presented as an environmental statement chapter of the EIA as part of the planning application.