Leamouth Peninsula

Clients: Various, including Waterman Environmental, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Ballymore, Martha Schwartz

Date: 2006 - ongoing

ECL has been commissioned to undertake ecological and greening consultancy work on the Leamouth Peninsula. This major new residential and mixed-use neighbourhood development will transform a brownfield site into 3,000 homes, stores, shops, restaurants, caf�s, and an arts facility. New public spaces will include landscaped plazas, cultural venues, communal gardens and a continuous promenade along the Peninsula perimeter.

Working with leading international landscape designers Martha Schwartz on this project has been a great opportunity to combine contemporary approaches to ecology and landscape studies.

The vision for the Peninsula is based on the principles of sustainable mixed use development and ECL has been working on the ecological elements. The subsequent planning permission included ecological provisos and ECL has been able to assist with:

• Mitigation, compensation and enhancement schemes
• Landscaping and ecological management planning
• Recommendations for biodiverse green roofs - working through the Green Roof Consultancy

The London population of black redstarts is concentrated along the Thames, east of Tower Bridge and in the Lee Valley. As a result this site is a Key Area for black redstarts and ECL will be conducting ongoing surveys.

Expertise/Services

• Scoping survey
• Phase 1 Habitat survey
• Environmental Statement
• Winter birds survey
• Black redstart surveys and advice on habitat mitigation
• Reptile surveys
• Watching briefs during demolition
• Advice on the creation of intertidal habitat, invertebrate habitat and wildlife friendly planting scheme
• Advice on a variety of bird nesting boxes, including those specifically designed for peregrine falcon and kingfisher
• Advice on green roofs for the site

Schools for Futures, Bradford

Client: Costain

Date: 2006 - 2007

As part of the Schools for Futures initiative in Bradford, engineering contractors Costain commissioned ECL 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

Runnymede

Client: Environ

Date: 2007 - ongoing

ECL was commissioned to survey the development from university campus to mixed development site.

We have been liaising with the Surrey Wildlife Trust, the local Badger Group and the National Trust (who own the adjacent site). The potential habitat for the rare, IUCN Red List species, Bechstein's and barbastelle bats, has made this project a particularly interesting one for our bat experts.

Expertise/Services

• Phase 1 Habitat survey
• Badger surveys
• Bat surveys including Bechstein's and barbastelle
• Reptile surveys
• Dormice surveys
• Tree assessment