Development management services
Development Management
We offer a wide range of development management services covering Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA'S), Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA's), Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA's), an agent for obtaining your environmental permits, and more! We also offer bespoke reporting and general advice.
Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA's)
An essential for planning permission and obtaining most environmental permits, our staff have significant experience in compiling PEA's. We offer 3 different levels of service, from a basic purely desk-based analysis, to phase 1 habitat mapping, on-site data collection, and detailed data analysis, to a combined PEA and Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA).
Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA)
The follow up to the PEA, which for some projects, can be combined into a single report, the impact assessment can either support a permit on its own or form the ecological component of a wider Environmental Impact Assessment. It considers all available data to determine overall impact on all ecological features following the completion of any other surveys or research recommended in the PEA.
Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA's)
Any works within, close to, or connected to a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), or RAMSAR site will require assessment under the 2017 Habitat Regulations. We offer first-stage assessments (Tests of Likely Significant Effect), and second-stage Appropriate Assessments (AA).
Your Agent for Environmental Permits
At RTT, we understand that needing an environmental permit can be daunting and that processes are often complicated, requiring particular expertise. As such, we offer ourselves as agents acting on your behalf to Natural Resources Wales, Natural England, Welsh Government, and Local Authorities for selected permits.
Currently, we can offer our agency services for: SSSI Assent/Consent, Flood Risk Activity Permits (FRAP's), Ordinary Watercourse Consent, Badger Disturbance Licences, and Band 1 to Band 2 Marine Licences. We can also provide you with advice for meeting biodiversity criteria in your Sustainable Drainage Scheme (SuDS) approval.
Our service levels start from generic advice to full agency acting on your behalf with the permitting authority.
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Species Specific and Protected Species Surveys
We offer a range of surveys and guidance targeting specific groups or species, including: Amphibians, Bats, Birds, Reptiles, Otters, Badgers, Invertebrates, and more. Contact us to discuss your particular needs and species you are interested in. We can also provide surveys and reports for the following protected species: Otters, Phase I Bat Scoping Assessments, Badgers, Breeding Birds/Nesting Bird Checks, and Water Vole.
Mitigation and Enhancements
If you need advice on suitable mitigation and enhancement proposals for your scheme, then we offer a range of services tailored to your project. Depending on your scheme, we can explore botanical, invertebrate, reptile, amphibian, bird, and mammal actions, including providing hedgerow, woodland/tree, and meadow planting specifications.
Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Net Gain Statements
The recent changes to planning laws now require Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Net Gain Statements with applications, which support appraisals and impact assessments. We offer these reports on their own or in conjunction with PEA's and Impact Assessments.
Sustainable Drainage Schemes
Obtaining Statutory Approval Body (SAB) permission for a Sustainable Drainage Scheme (SuDS) is now mandatory for all developments in England and Wales exceeding 100m2 or more of impermeable surfacing. We can offer options and concepts for your project to help you meet the biodiversity criteria of your sustainable drainage scheme, whether a small or large development.
Please note that we cannot design your SuDS for you, but we can provide you and/or your engineers with our expertise.
Habitat management, conservation, and farming schemes
Habitat Management and Conservation
Are you a land manager looking to maximise the biodiversity potential of your assets? We offer varied services from desk-based analysis and advice, to using data from invertebrate and/or botanical surveys to assess the ecological value of your land and suggest appropriate changes in management. Contact us to see how we can help you make the most out of your land!
Sustainable Farming Schemes
Reforms to British farming support schemes have strengthened and created new sustainability criteria that often centres on providing habitats for nature, and ensuring there's appropriate management plans in place for these on your land. If you are a farmer that is looking to take advantage of these grant schemes, we can help.
Our service plans include phase 1 habitat mapping to document your existing assets, botanical and/or invertebrate surveys and other assessments to gauge the health of these habitats, and use this information to inform management recommendations in the short, medium, and long term.
Species Specific Surveys
As described above, we offer a range of species-specific surveys for development related projects, but we also offer these services for conservation, habitat management, or other purposes too! We cover: Amphibians, Bats, Birds, Reptiles, Otters, Badgers, Invertebrates, and more. Contact us to discuss your particular needs and species you are interested in. We can also provide surveys and reports for the following protected species: Otters, Phase I Bat Scoping Assessments, Badgers, Breeding Birds/Nesting Bird Checks, and Water Vole.
Education, Short courses and talks
Education and Short Courses
Are you looking for a consultant or ecologist to deliver a short day-course experience? Then we've got you covered! Whether you are a school, business, conservation organisation, or a community project, we can craft and deliver content on various ecological and environmental topics according to your needs and requirements, using the wealth of teaching experience in our team.
Please note that our day-courses are for experience building only and are not official qualifications.
Talks
As well as day-courses, our team also deliver a wide range of talks to or on behalf of your organisation. In the past, our staff have delivered on topics including: Taxonomy and Species Identification, the Biology of Dragonflies and Damselflies, the Ecology of Development, the Importance of Wild Pollinators and How to Identify Them, and more.
For more educational content, please do check out our blog!
bespoke works
Bespoke Works
Whilst we offer various standardised services, we understand the needs of our clients are unique to them, their project, and their site, so if you're in need of particular data, surveys, or analysis, please drop us a line!