Category: News

We have achieved a Great Crested Newt Low Impact Class Licence (GCN LICL)

In June 2016, ERAP Ltd’s Principal Ecologist, Victoria Burrows, became a Registered Consultant able to use the new Natural England Great Crested Newt Low Impact Class Licence (GCN LICL).

To achieve Registered Consultant status Victoria had to demonstrate to Natural England that she had the relevant qualifications, experience and understanding of great crested newt ecology and relevant mitigation projects.  Victoria then attended a two day workshop / training course followed by an assessment.

The GCN LICL has been formulated by Natural England to provide a more streamlined, faster and less onerous approach to mitigation licensing in situations considered to be of low impact.

The licence overview states “This Class Licence gives ecological consultants, who are registered with Natural England to use this licence, the authority to undertake or to supervise certain activities which infringe the protection afforded to great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) at sites registered under it.  Specifically, the licence permits great crested newts to be disturbed, to be caught and relocated to a safe place, and allows small areas of terrestrial habitat, used by great crested newts as a resting place, to be damaged or destroyed.  It additionally permits temporary impacts in ditches, but not other aquatic habitats, for works on linear schemes.”

Examples when this licence may be applicable comprise temporary impacts, or negligible permanent impacts, affecting terrestrial habitats such as construction or installation of pipeline routes; boreholes and archaeological type works; installation of road signs and gantries, routine maintenance type works and small scale permanent habitat destruction.

The GCN LICL will only be applicable to certain projects.  However, with our client’s interests as a priority, the ability to apply the GCN LICL route will always be considered to minimise any potential delays and constraints to ensure a positive outcome for both wildlife and our clients.

 

Badgers Move Back In (Video)

Following the discovery of a large badger sett at a redevelopment site in south Manchester, ERAP Ltd (Consultant Ecologists) provided practical guidance to ensure the welfare of badger was protected throughout the earthworks and all relevant wildlife legislation and planning requirements were complied with.

In late summer 2015, we obtained a Natural England licence to temporarily exclude the badger setts which would be affected by the earthworks, keeping open those which remained a safe distance from the proposals and associated works.  The licensed works comprised the use of one-way gates, which is a standard exclusion technique.

This facilitated the earthworks and demolition to enable the new build.  The temporarily excluded entrances were then uncovered in February 2016.

Monitoring surveys in spring 2016 have found the re-opened badger setts are back in active use.  Typical signs of badger activity were present, including compacted earth and badger tracks, discarded bedding, and hairs found in the sett entrances.

This is great news and demonstrates that a carefully planned and successfully implemented mitigation strategy can ensure the protection of the welfare of badger whilst facilitating a development.

Here’s a couple of short videos of badger activity which was recorded by one of our camera traps.

Three Sites Registered Under the Bat Low Impact Class Licence (BLICL)

Victoria has now registered three sites under the BLICL (see Blog entry in May 2015). In all instances the confirmation from Natural England that the site has been successfully registered was received within 10 working days of the application. This approach has facilitated the timely demolition of buildings and the less onerous paperwork involved has saved our clients a significant sum. Victoria has renewed her registration to use this licence in 2016.

 

Soft Stripped Roof BLICL
Careful removal of roof tiles under the BLICL
Soprano Pipistrelle Bat
Soprano Pipistrelle bat found beneath a roof tile during works

 

 

 

New BCT Bat Survey Guidelines Published

The team is currently getting to grips with the new (3rd) edition of ‘Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines‘ (Collins, 2016). This is the definitive guidance and describes the survey approach expected by Natural England, local planning authorities and bat groups.

BCT Bat Survey Guidelines

We are ready to appropriately advise our clients ahead of the 2016 bat survey season and look forward to another busy and interesting year.

Welcome to a New Member of our Ecologist Team

We welcome Dr Nicola Wallbank to our ecologist team. After graduating with a First Class B.Sc. Honours degree in Wildlife and Practical Conservation from the University of Salford in 2008, Nicola went on to conduct a four year research project investigating the impacts of climate and socio-economic change on ecosystem services of urban amenity greenspaces. Since the successful completion of her Ph.D. Nicola has worked in environmental consultancy conducting habitat and protected species surveys, compiling, interpreting and reporting survey data as well as acting as Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW).

Nicola has settled in well and is getting involved with all aspects of our work.

Team Members Attend CIEEM Barn Owl Survey, Reporting and Mitigation Training Course

Brian, Amy, Chris and Carol attended the CIEEM course entitled ‘Barn Owl: Surveying and Reporting’ in May.  The course entailed examining known Barn Owl roosting and nest sites.  Assessing the value of different habitats for their value as habitats for hunting Barn Owl and the process to be applied when mitigation for Barn Owl is required.  All reported the course to be very informative and they are looking forward to the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained.

Victoria is a Bat Low Impact Class Licence (BLICL) Registered Consultant

Our Principal Ecologist, Victoria Burrows, met the criteria, has the relevant experience, attended the training event and completed the assessment to become one of a small number of ‘Registered Consultants’ able to apply the new Natural England Bat Low Impact Class Licence (BLICL).

The BLICL aims to facilitate a more streamlined means of permitting works (i.e. demolition, re-roofing, renovation etc.) affecting certain bat roosts i.e. those of low conservation status for common species.

This Class Licence approach aims to reduce the burden on both the developer / house owner and on Natural England for a significant number of low impact type cases, by reducing the application paper work, scrutiny of the three tests prior to a licence being granted and speed in which a licence decision will be determined.   It also enables a more proportionate approach to licensing to be taken for certain case types.

Please contact us if you want to know more.