Building schools for the future in Barnet

Client: Kier Group

Date: 2008-9

One of the requirements of the BSF programme for Barnet was that all the work achieved a BREEAM 'very good' rating. The Ecology Consultancy has carried out a number of surveys for this scheme which will inform the BREEAM assessment and help achieve the required standard. In addition we were involved in consultations with pupils and staff at the school.

The project involved a series of lessons on ecology and sustainability, and included exercises with the children to determine which plants should be used in the scheme and how the playground should be laid out. The classes were complemented by a number of informal sessions for teachers. These provided valuable input for the school and helped the project gain credits towards its BREEAM rating. For more information on our BSF work please download this flyer.

Schools for Futures, Bradford

Client: Costain

Date: 2006 - 2007

As part of the Schools for Futures initiative in Bradford, engineering contractors Costain commissioned The Ecology Consultancy ecologists to conduct bat surveys on three sites. Bat roosts were thought to occur and detailed surveys were required to assess the likely impacts of the redevelopment proposals and inform mitigation measures.

Of the three sites surveyed, bat roosts were confirmed in one and work is ongoing at another to more fully assess the situation. At the school with the confirmed roosts, we recommended mitigation measures that allowed the work to continue with the minimum impact on the bat population and the construction programme. This included designing new roosts to fit into the new school walls. We obtained European Protected Species Licences for the site and we hope to be able to continue monitoring the site as the works continue.

Expertise/Services

• Habitat surveys
• Bat surveys
• Detailed mitigation strategies
• European Protected Species Licences
• Implementation and monitoring of mitigation measures

Neighbourhoods Green - Spaces for Nature

Client: Natural England

Date: 2005 - 2006

The Ecology Consultancy was commissioned by English Nature to research and prepare guidance for the Neighbourhoods Green Project. Neighbourhoods Green highlights the importance of green spaces for the residents of social housing, and raises issues of quality of design, management and safe use with social housing providers.

Spaces for Nature details basic and easy to implement guidance in order to provide:

• Habitat enhancements within new and existing housing estates to encourage a range of locally common wildlife.

• Designs for wildlife that can be met from existing grounds maintenance budgets, and created and maintained with existing skills.

Case studies on a variety of schemes were used to illustrate the range of projects being carried out in social housing and to describe the issues that affect the success of these projects and how to account for these effectively. Examples within London included:

• Peabody Trust Barnwell Estate, Camberwell.
• Metropolitan Housing Trust’s canal-side developments, Hackney.
• Neilson Terry Court, Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth.

Upper Thames Estuary Integrated Habitat Classification

Client: The Environment Agency (Thames Region)

Date: 2005

As part of the ecological work required to implement the EU Water Framework Directive, the Environment Agency is required to classify and monitor habitats within the Thames estuary as a whole.

The Ecology Consultancy produced a study of the inter-tidal plant communities of the foreshore and river frontage habitats of the upper Thames Estuary.

Our botanists surveyed 32 km of river bank during the summer of 2005. Our GIS team collated and mapped the survey data using MapInfo to link survey points to the database containing quadrat and assemblage data.

The study used statistical methods to identify plant assemblages and relate their occurrence to a range of environmental variables. The work contributes to an Integrated Habitat Classification for the entire Estuary though the identification of new plant communities present in the upper estuary only.