King Charles’ climate call to action

King Charles has been praised for his COP28 speech calling for further efforts to protect the planet. Syntegra MD Alan King hailed his opening ceremony speech as “genuine concern and critically important,” after the monarch said that a net-zero and nature-positive future was achievable, but that a “starker and darker world” was inevitable based on […]

Bat Survey Frequently Asked Questions

In a bid to protect natural habitats and encourage biodiversity, bat surveys are most commonly ordered at this time of year by local authorities considering planning applications. Here at Syntegra Group, we understand that the need for further bat surveys may cause worry and lead to further questions. To ease your concerns, our ecology team […]

Defra unveils multi-million pound Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment fund

The UK Government has unveiled plans for a new £5m Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment to protect the environment as part of a new package of Environment Bill measures. Environment Minister George Eustice said the funding will help improve the data collection of how nature and biodiversity are used within the UK. The initial programme […]

How Covid has impacted the planning process

Local authorities have been urged by the Government to be ‘innovative’ in how they manage applications and workloads during the current Coronavirus crisis lockdown period. Chief Steve Quartermain, outgoing Chief Planner at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, called on councils to ‘be practical, be pragmatic and let’s plan for the recovery’. Acknowledging […]

Syntegra Group Q2 2020 – predictions and insights

When lockdown is lifted and new normality dawns – whatever that looks like – Syntegra stands ready to support clients through a broad range of potential scenarios with its innovative ways of working and extensive expertise across sustainable service provision. Of course, our teams remain fully committed to carrying out our services, albeit in revised […]

Building better biodiversity

Broad ranging measures announced as the UK Government unveiled its Environment Bill have been welcomed by the team at Syntegra which is already ahead of the game providing services  which will become mandated under the new legislation. Building developments will increasingly have to be delivered in a way which protects and enhances nature. The bill, […]

Developer guides launched

Syntegra has published the first in its series of Developers’ Guides for potential clients to refer to when considering working on joint projects with the company. The Impact of Ecology on Planning and Development has been drawn up to advise developers of the initial site considerations they need to address when planning a project. The […]

Hedgerows warning over biodiversity threat

Landowners have been warned of the threat to biodiversity by mismanaging their hedgerows. Syntegra’s Director of Ecology Services Trish Holden called for rotational cutting of hedgerows and tree lines outside of the bird nesting season to help protect valuable wildlife. She said: ‘Most landowners don’t realise how important hedgerows and tree lines are for bats […]

UKGBC urges business leaders to embrace net zero measures

Syntegra Managing Director Alan King is fortunate to be a member of the UK Green Building Council’s Leaders Network which recently received a very useful update on key developments in the built environment sector and what organisations can focus on in a bid to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. Below are some of the […]

Developers urged to consider impacts on wildlife

Developers have been warned to take more care to protect wildlife habitats when undertaking construction projects following concerns raised over netting being placed over trees and hedges. In a letter to developers, Communities Secretary James Brokenshire MP reminded developers of their legal obligations to consider the impact of their work on wildlife and take action […]

Ecology advice after huge fine for developers who destroyed bat roost

Clients have been warned to consider ecology in the initial stages of their planning proposals after a huge fine was imposed on a development company for the illegal destruction of a building where protected bats were known to roost. Landrose Developments was fined £18,820 at Brent Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to destroying the breeding […]

Biodiversity net gain guidance launched

Development plans are set to include detailed calculations on the biodiversity net gain of their projects in a bid to reverse losses of natural habitats from previous construction schemes. Industry associations have teamed up to produce guidance on the scheme first launched by DEFRA to improve provision of natural habitats for species potentially displaced by […]

Winter– do I have to wait to have an ecology survey?

Dark, dismal January, many of us just want to retreat under our duvets and similarly many of our native species are doing the same – all tucked away waiting for Spring. Many of our clients often ask if they must wait to have a preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA) carried out on their site during the […]

New guidance on lighting and its effect on bats

New guidance on lighting and its effect on bats has been welcomed by the Syntegra team as it offers advice to clients on sustainable development schemes. The Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) has launched the latest practical guidance on considering the impact upon bats when designing lighting schemes. They have worked with the Bat Conservation […]

Planning applications face delay if bat surveys not completed promptly

A key window of opportunity for planning applications is about to close as the bat survey season draws to an end – meaning potential delays of up to a year for construction projects. Syntegra prides itself on a quick turnaround for all ecological surveys but we are bound by law to leave bats in peace […]

A day in the life of a Syntegra team member

Like many companies, we invest in marketing ourselves as a fun, productive make-a-difference type of place to work.We can tell you all the corporate messages we like to think attract the right calibre of candidate to apply to work with us when we are recruiting.But actually, what better way to find out what life’s really […]

Wildlife Enhancements in London’s Urban Jungles

By Trish Holden, Ecology Consultant I often get clients and agents questioning the need for ecological enhancements when sites are based in built up urban areas –  it’s a common misconception that these urban sprawled ‘concrete jungles’ surely must be dead zones with no value for wildlife. After having many of these questions poised to […]

Preliminary Ecological Appraisals 

Recent revised Guidelines produced by IEEM: Guidelines for Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (December 2017). The purpose of these guidelines is to set out the appropriate approach to undertaking Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEAs) and the appropriate application of PEAs within the planning process. Additionally, the updated guidelines were to ensure consistency in terminology and assessments carried out by ecologists.  What is a PEA? PEA is a process rather than a report, it is best […]

Syntegra seeks to strengthen its top team

Two new senior management profile roles have been created at the multi-discipline sustainability consultants Syntegra Group as they seek to expand ahead of the new post-Brexit energy environment. Umer Uzair has been promoted from his post of Associate Director to the newly created post of Director of Energy & Sustainability and vowed to put customers […]

How to avoid a tiny creature putting the brakes on your building development

While not always at the top of a developer’s mind when renovating a site, in today’s planning applications, bats and other rare or endangered species are a material consideration. Criminal prosecutions can be brought against builders who ignore the creatures’ presence and destroy roosts with unlimited fines and/or six months in prison the punishments available […]

Wales’ One Planet Development Scheme

In July 2010, Wales introduced One Planet Developments; a national planning policy to encourage low environmental impact developments. This is in response to studies showing that, if everyone consumed natural resources at the rate that Wales currently does, it would take 3 planets to support everyone. It has been concluded that Wales must reduce its […]

Key Green Building Rating Systems- what systems are used where?

The increased number of green building organisations has lead to an increase in the use of green building rating systems on an international scale. These rating systems include: LEED (USA), BREEAM (UK), Green Star, (Australia) CASBEE (Japan) and Green Star (South Africa). These assessment tools provide projects with a qualitative evaluation of the several benefits […]