Get ecology advice for a planning application

Larger or more complex development proposals can benefit from pre-application advice. This is a charged service which can include various specialists including ecology.

This can:

• help you to understand any problems early on in the project and find a solution
• reduce the time, cost and risk of dealing with issues later
• ensure that any ecological surveys are carried out at the correct time of year to the required standards and help prevent delays in the development process

You should be aware that pre-application advice does not mean that your application will be approved.

The advice service includes:

• 1 to 2 hours of desk-based research and report
• written response within 20 working days of receipt

The cost, including VAT is:

• £266 for minor schemes
• £355 for major schemes

Additional time is £177.45 per hour.

The advice service includes:

• 1 to 2 hour desk-based research
• 1 hour site visit within 10 working days of receipt (subject to client availability)
• written response within 10 working days of our site visit

The cost, including VAT is:

• £532 for minor schemes
• £710 for major schemes

Additional time is £177.45 per hour.

We offer an priority service to be used in emergencies.

The cost is £887 (inclusive of VAT).

This service usually includes a:

• priority site meeting as a matter of urgency
• written response provided within 5 working days of site visit

The availability of the service will depend on our team's availability.

Householder or smaller development proposals can benefit from an ecology screening visit.

This service can:

• help identify whether protected species or priority habitats are present or likely to be present
• determine whether the development proposals are likely to impact any protected species or priority habitats found
• explain what further surveys or measures are required to support your planning application

You can request an ecology screening visit to check if these habitats or species could be at the site of your proposed development.

We normally visit household properties or agricultural buildings that may be a home for bats or nesting birds. However, other protected species such as barn owls and great crested newts can also be covered.

Habitats that can be screened include ponds, woodland or grassland.

If there is evidence or potential for protected species, or a priority habitat is present, you’ll need to:

• submit a supporting ecological assessment with your planning application
• consider changes to your proposal to reduce any harm to habitats or species

This is why it’s important for our ecologist to carry out a visit as soon as possible, and ideally before any plans are drawn.

Before you request a visit, check with ecologists if a screening visit would be appropriate.

A screening visit will cost £355 (including VAT).
Additional time is charged at hourly increments at an hourly rate of £177.45 including VAT.

The visit usually includes:

• a site visit of up to 1 hour
• a written response, within 5 days of the site visit