Coventry’s Standard of Local Biodiversity
Starting a development project in Coventry or the wider West Midlands means working within a landscape that values its industrial history alongside a robust biodiversity. The city’s ecology is characterised by ‘Tiny Forests’, ancient woodlands, and the vital Sherbourne Valley corridor. When you submit a planning application to Coventry City Council, you must demonstrate that you have considered the natural environment.
Our ecological consultancy provides the expert advice and ecological services you need to navigate the planning process smoothly. We are expert consultants who specialise in turning complex ecological issues into clear and manageable plans. In the West Midlands, the planning process is increasingly focused on sustainable environmental management, and as your ecological surveyor, we help you understand your obligations from the early stage of your build using an ecology survey.
By identifying ecological constraints early through ecological surveys, we allow you to make informed decisions that save time and money. We work closely with local authorities to ensure that your development proposal meets all legal requirements while protecting the species that call the city home. From initial assessments to the final discharge of conditions, we are your dependable partner for all things ecological.
Baseline Appraisals and Site Feasibility Reports
For almost every proposed development, the first step is a preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA), which is effectively a baseline audit of your site’s health. During a site visit, one of our ecological consultants will map the habitats present and look for evidence of legally protected species or European protected species.
The phase 1 assessment is vital because it identifies the potential impacts of your planning project before you invest too much in the design. Our PEA surveys are comprehensive and meet the high professional standards of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), making them reputable in the eyes of the local council and within their environmental aims. If the preliminary ecological appraisal identifies the presence of notable species, we will provide a clear roadmap of the next steps.
It could involve further surveys or the development of a specific mitigation measures plan. We believe in a client-focused approach, which means we explain the results of our survey work in plain English. Our team produces the further information the local planning authority needs to see in your ecology report, ensuring your planning application is robust. By tackling these ecological issues at the early stage, you avoid the last-minute panics that can derail a planning project during the busy bat activity season.
Midlands-Specific Surveys for Ecology
Coventry’s mix of urban sprawl and ancient woodland means that protected species surveys are a common requirement. Many of the city’s historic buildings and industrial sites are perfect for bat species. Among the ecological surveys our team carry out, we provide a full range of bat surveys, starting with bat scoping surveys and moving to bat emergence surveys if required. Our bat surveyors are highly experienced and hold the necessary licences from Natural England to perform these intrusive works.
We also identify the specific species present, which is essential for designing effective mitigation measures and securing any necessary permits. In addition to bats, our ecological team provides great crested newt surveys for sites with ponds or suitable terrestrial habitat, badger surveys to ensure no setts are disturbed by your development project, bird surveys to protect breeding birds and their nests during construction, and invertebrate surveys for brownfield sites with high biodiversity potential.
In your ecology survey report, we provide solutions, and if your development site hosts great crested newts or other protected species, we work with you to create mitigation measures that are both practical and legally compliant. Whether it is habitat creation or a change in work schedules, we ensure your planning project can proceed without harming local biodiversity. Our licensed ecologist team is here to make the process as simple as possible for you.
Strategic Planning Support and Implementation
Once our survey work is complete, we help you navigate the final steps of the planning process. Our ecology consultancy provides the professional weight needed to satisfy both Natural England and the local planning authority. We can produce other ecological surveys as needed, such as a detailed ecological impact assessment (EcIA) for larger projects to ensure that all potential impacts are accounted for.
The ecological surveys we offer help with gaining planning permission while showing an intention to protect the natural environment during the construction phase. Our goal is to be your dependable partner, providing the expert ecological services on your development site that get your project approved, all under fast turnaround times and in close contact with you throughout the process.
Arbtech offers extensive experience across the West Midlands – including planning projects near Coventry, Stratford-upon-Avon and more – allowing us to provide informed decisions based on years of successful developments. If you are ready to move forward with your Coventry development, call us today, or you can email us or fill out a form online. We’ll give you a free quote and help you understand the next steps and provide the survey work you need to turn your development proposal into a reality. From the first step to the final sign-off, we are here to support you.
