The Ecology Co-op. Environmental consultants
Southern and South East England
by Paul Whitby
The last few days of 2020 are upon us and what an unprecedented year it has been. In this post we are going to take a look back at the year from an ecology point of view — summarising some of the headline changes to affect ecology and development. Despite the huge disruptions that the […]
by Paul Whitby
When it comes to development and ecology, bats routinely require consideration. All bat species and their roosts are currently protected by law; legislation makes it an offence to destroy, damage or block access to a bat roost, or to deliberately or recklessly disturb, injure or kill any bat. The roost is protected whether bats are […]
by Paul Whitby
In last month’s post, we took a closer look at bats and licensing in relation to development. Species such as bats and great crested newts are often in the media in relation to ecology and planning; however, there are a number of other species that are protected by legislation and policy in England that may […]
by Paul Whitby
There’s no doubt that our natural environment is in trouble. You only have to pick up a newspaper or turn on the television to hear about the stark reality. Consequently, the requirement for development to consider ecological issues is firmly embedded in legislation and the planning system. The good news is that if biodiversity is […]
by Paul Whitby
Our mini-series on the primary ecological surveys and reports that are required as part of the planning process, concludes in this blog post with Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA); but to start with, we have a couple of general updates: firstly, we’d like to reassure all of our clients that we continue to keep up to […]
by Paul Whitby
Over the last few weeks we have all had to adapt to the rapidly changing situation with regards to COVID-19. As mentioned in our previous post, we have been closely following UK government advice and have modified our methods of operation accordingly. We thought it useful in this post to provide a summary of recent […]
by Paul Whitby
Before we pick up the main focus of today’s post, it’s worth commenting on how ecology work has been progressing in light of the current coronavirus situation since our last update. Lockdown has continued over the last few weeks along with social distancing measures, and we have therefore been undertaking our surveys within these constraints […]
by Paul Whitby
We have been closely following UK government advice with regards to COVID-19 and the dynamic situation that we find ourselves in. In accordance with current advice and knowledge about the virus, we have made a number of changes to our methods of working to ensure that safe working practices are being upheld. In addition to […]
by Paul Whitby
Before we reach the main focus of today’s blog post, it’s worth mentioning the recent exit from the European Union (EU) and how this affects ecology. We are currently going through a transition period (set to continue until the end of the year) and during this time, the EU regulations (and policy) are proposed to […]
by Paul Whitby
Spring is definitely in the air, in between the endless rain showers, and that means we are entering the main spring/summer survey season; therefore, it seems an opportune time to follow on from our last post – which focused on Preliminary Ecological Appraisal – with a closer look at protected species surveys and reports. A […]