Providing ecological surveys and reports to inform your planning application

You'll need to provide a survey if you're submitting a planning proposal that could impact biodiversity or any protected sites, habitats or species.

Your development proposal may affect ecology or biodiversity if it includes:

• works to a roof or loft space, for example a loft conversion or addition of dormer windows, where bats could be present
• works to a building that have features suitable for roosting bats, (view where bats live can be found on bats.org)
• works within 500 metres of a pond or waterbody where newts or other amphibians could be present (view our newt mitigation page)
• the clearance of more than 25m2 of vegetation or natural habitat, (for example bare ground, grassland, scrub or individual trees) or 5m of hedgerow
• a watercourse or part of the riparian zone (the 10m of land from the top of the bank)
• works within the Zone of Influence of a designated site, including a SAC, SSSI, Local Wildlife Site, or ancient woodland
• other ecological constraints that have been identified by an ecologist

During the planning process, our ecologists will:

• examine the need for ecological surveys and reports
• examine the quality of the surveys and reports
• make recommendations to the planning officer relating to ecological issues

It's important that ecological surveys are carried out:

• by qualified competent personnel
• at a specific, appropriate time of year
• with enough time to ensure the appropriate level of survey has been carried out before applying for planning permission

A competent consultant ecologist should carry out the required ecology survey work and reporting. They should have appropriate experience and hold relevant species licences for the type of habitat and species expected to be present.

The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) provides a list of registered practices and consultant ecologist members.

You can search the CIEEM registered practice directory online.

You’ll need to make sure that your consultant ecologist knows that the purpose of the survey work and reporting is to inform a planning application and to make an assessment on the impact of the proposals. Your consultant ecologist should be able to advise on the surveys and reports required.

You’ll usually have to initially carry out a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal which identifies any likely ecological constraints, such as whether important species or protected sites, habitats or species are likely to be present.

It will also give appropriate recommendations which may include the need for mitigation or more detailed surveys to be carried out. The time of year when further surveys can be carried out is often restricted to when particular species are most active or visible.

Any additional surveys need to be carried out and reported on before the planning application is determined. The results of further surveys are important to inform mitigation strategies and the development proposals design.

The appraisal will also need to include up-to-date environmental records data provided by the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Environmental Records Centre (BMERC).

More information about what to include in a PEA report can be found within the CIEEM Guidelines for Preliminary Ecological Appraisal.

If your development (including householder development) may affect a feature with potential to be used by roosting bats, you'll need to undertake a Preliminary Roost Assessment.

The survey can be undertaken at any time of year. The assessment will give you recommendations which may include the need for mitigation and enhancement or for more detailed surveys.

The time of year when further surveys can be carried out is often restricted to when particular species are most active or visible.

Any additional surveys need to be carried out and reported on before the planning application is determined. The results of further surveys are important to inform mitigation strategies and the development proposals design.

Larger or more complex developments are typically informed by an Ecological Impact Assessment. The assessment is more detailed than that of a PEA and incorporates the findings of further surveys and provides mitigation solutions. The assessment allows for the likely impacts on ecological features to be determined and for an evaluation of the effect of the proposals upon important ecological features.

The EcIA should provide enough detail and clarity to ensure planning decisions are based on robust adequate information.

More information about what needs to be included within an EcIA can be found within the CIEEM Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment and the EcIA Checklist.

The statutory framework for Biodiversity Net Gain commenced in February 2024.

View guidance on what you need to submit on GOV.UK.

You should begin to consider BNG at the start of your project so that you can plan for the associated surveys and build BNG into project design from an early stage.

BNG requires habitat surveys using the UK Hab classification system as well as habitat condition assessments. If rivers or hedgerows are present, then these will also require survey and condition assessments following specific methodology set out by Defra.

You should submit as much information on BNG as possible so that we can be sure that the biodiversity gain condition is capable of being discharged. This often requires proposals for habitat creation to be legally secured prior to decision making.

View how BNG can be achieved in Buckinghamshire.

You can contact us for pre-application advice.

There is usually a charge for this service.