UES recently completed a baseline Preliminary Ecological Appraisal of a parcel of land in Burntwood, Staffordshire. The land parcel has an area of approximately 14 hectares and is largely composed of open pasture, although scattered mature trees, hedgerows and farm buildings are also present within the curtilage of the site boundary.
Developments such as these, which have a relatively large footprint, are generally subject to more ecological issues which are highlighted during the preliminary ecological appraisal. This is partly due to the fact that larger areas will have more ecological receptors (species and habitats), but also due to the larger impact on the wider landscape. In this case, the main ecological concerns included bats, breeding birds, hedgerows, trees and designated sites. The development site is also situated within the Impact Risk Zone (IRZ) of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), so consultation with Natural England regarding any potential impact of the development was also necessary.
UES ecologists are experienced at finding the most pragmatic mitigation strategies in order to acquire planning permission and have done so on a wide variety of large-scale developments across the country.
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