Preliminary ecological appraisals and protected species surveys for planning applications, carried out by qualified ecologists — scoped to what your site actually needs, timed to the survey seasons, and written to keep the project moving rather than stall it.
Stage one
Almost every ecology requirement starts in the same place: a preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA). An ecologist reviews local biological records, walks the site, maps the habitats present, and looks for evidence of protected species — droppings, roost features, nests, ponds within range, foraging routes.
The appraisal ends in one of two ways. For many sites it concludes that no further ecological work is needed, and the report goes into the planning application as evidence that the question was asked and answered. Where evidence is found, it scopes precisely which species-specific surveys are required — no more than that, so nobody pays for surveys a competent appraisal would have ruled out.
The calendar is the real risk. Species-specific surveys can only be carried out when the species are active or detectable — bat activity surveys through the warmer months, great crested newt surveys in the spring breeding season, nesting bird constraints from early spring to late summer. Miss a window and the application can wait months for the next one. Commission the appraisal at project start, while there is still time to book whatever it triggers.
Stage two
All UK bat species and their roosts are legally protected, whether bats are present at the time or not. Barns, lofts, cellars and mature trees are classic roost sites. Where the appraisal finds potential, presence or absence is established by inspection and by activity surveys carried out in season — evidence planning authorities routinely insist on before determining an application.
Active nests are protected, so the bird nesting season constrains when buildings can be stripped and vegetation cleared. The practical answer is usually timing: schedule clearance outside the season, or have a pre-works check carried out immediately before, and the constraint rarely needs to delay a project at all.
Where suitable ponds sit on or near a site, great crested newts have to be considered. Surveys are tied to the spring breeding season, and eDNA sampling of pond water during that window can often settle the presence question quickly and economically before anything more involved is commissioned.
Planning context
Ecology is no longer a niche planning topic. Under the biodiversity net gain regime, most planning applications in England must now demonstrate at least a 10% net gain in biodiversity, calculated with the statutory metric and secured for the long term. The habitat data recorded during the preliminary appraisal doubles as the baseline for that calculation — one more reason the PEA belongs at the start of the programme, not bolted on when the planning officer asks.
Good ecology reports are also practical. Where constraints exist, ours set out the mitigation that lets consent be granted — timing works around seasons, sensitive lighting design, integrated bat and bird boxes, habitat enhancement within the landscaping — rather than simply cataloguing reasons to refuse.
Ecology rarely travels alone. Barn conversion projects typically need SAP calculations for conversions for Building Regulations, new dwellings need SAP calculations for new builds, and drone photography can capture site context and roof features that support both the ecology report and the planning submission. As part of our surveys range, we can coordinate the lot — send the site details and we'll quote for the appraisal stage.
Common questions
It depends on the size of the site, the habitats present and whether any species-specific surveys turn out to be needed — a walkover of a small plot is a very different job from a season of bat surveys on a barn. Send the site location and your plans via the quote form or WhatsApp and we'll reply with a fixed quote for the appraisal stage.
A PEA is the first-stage ecology survey: a desk study of local records plus a site walkover mapping habitats and looking for evidence of protected species. It either concludes that no further work is needed — which is the outcome for many sites — or scopes exactly which species-specific surveys the planning application will require, so you only pay for what the site genuinely calls for.
Because the species are only active or detectable at certain times of year. Bat activity surveys run through the warmer months, great crested newt surveys are tied to the spring breeding season, and the bird nesting season constrains when vegetation and buildings can be cleared. Miss a window and the survey — and the planning application waiting on it — can be delayed by months, which is why the appraisal should happen as early in the project as possible.
Very often, yes. All UK bat species and their roosts are legally protected, and traditional barns are classic roost sites, so planning authorities routinely require bat survey information before determining a barn conversion application. A preliminary appraisal establishes whether a full bat survey is actually needed, and if so, which season it must be booked for.
Biodiversity net gain means a development must leave habitats measurably better than it found them — most planning applications in England must now deliver at least a 10% gain, calculated with the statutory metric and secured for the long term. The habitat data collected during the preliminary appraisal provides the baseline for that calculation, which is another reason to commission it early.
Tell us the property type and postcode — we'll come back with a fixed quote and the earliest available date.