Question: What ecology and arboricultural services are needed for planning?
Answer: Most planning applications affecting undeveloped land, trees, hedgerows, buildings that could support bats, or watercourses require ecological and arboricultural information. Common requirements include:
- Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA)
- Protected species surveys such as bats, great crested newts, reptiles, badgers and birds
- Biodiversity Net Gain assessment and metric
- Ecological Impact Assessment for larger schemes
- Arboricultural Impact Assessment, Tree Protection Plan and Arboricultural Method Statement to BS 5837
- Landscape design and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
- Urban Greening Factor calculation in London
- Ecological Clerk of Works during construction
Local Planning Authorities will not validate or determine applications without the necessary surveys.
Question: What legislation protects wildlife and habitats in the UK?
Answer: Key legislation includes the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 and the Environment Act 2021, which introduced mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain. The NPPF requires planning decisions to protect and enhance biodiversity and to refuse development that would result in significant harm that cannot be avoided, mitigated or compensated.
Question: When should ecology surveys be commissioned?
Answer: Ecology surveys are seasonally constrained. Bat activity surveys can only be carried out between May and September, great crested newt surveys between March and June, reptile surveys between April and October, and breeding bird surveys between March and July. A Preliminary Ecological Appraisal can be undertaken at any time of year and will identify which seasonal surveys are needed. Commissioning ecology early avoids losing a survey season and delaying the planning application by a year.
Question: What is Biodiversity Net Gain?
Answer: Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a mandatory requirement under the Environment Act 2021 for most planning applications in England since February 2024 for major developments and April 2024 for small sites. Developments must deliver at least a 10 per cent increase in biodiversity value, measured using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric, secured for at least 30 years. A BNG assessment and Biodiversity Gain Plan are required as part of the planning process.
Question: What is required for trees on a development site?
Answer: BS 5837:2012 Trees in Relation to Design, Demolition and Construction sets out the process for surveying trees, assessing their quality and constraints, and protecting retained trees during construction. Planning applications typically require a tree survey, Arboricultural Impact Assessment, Tree Protection Plan and, where works are proposed near retained trees, an Arboricultural Method Statement. Trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders or within Conservation Areas require separate consent for works.
Question: How do ecology and arboriculture link with other planning reports?
Answer: Ecology and arboriculture interact closely with drainage and SuDS design, landscape design, lighting design (particularly for bats), flood risk and the Urban Greening Factor. Green roofs, rain gardens and tree planting can deliver benefits across all of these areas. Coordinating these services ensures the site design achieves multiple planning requirements efficiently.
Question: Why choose Syntegra Group for ecology and arboricultural services?
Answer: Syntegra Group provides ecological surveys, protected species licensing, Biodiversity Net Gain assessment, arboricultural reports to BS 5837, landscape services, Urban Greening Factor calculations and Ecological Clerk of Works across the UK. Our ecologists and arboriculturists are members of relevant professional bodies and hold the survey licences required for protected species work.
As part of a multidisciplinary practice, our ecology and tree advice is coordinated with our drainage, landscape, lighting and sustainability teams, providing clients with a coherent green infrastructure strategy that satisfies planning authorities and delivers genuine environmental benefits.
