Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA)
A Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA), including an Extended Phase 1 Habitat survey, is an initial survey required to assess a site and will advise on any additional species specific surveys required to establish an ecological baseline prior to the planning permission being submitted. PEA’s were previously suitable to support a planning application although recent changes now require planning applications to be supported by an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA).
Preliminary Ecological Appraisals are carried out in line with the CIEEM Guidelines for Preliminary Ecology Appraisal, Second Edition (2017) and the JNCC (1990) Handbook for Phase 1 Habitat Surveys.
PEA’s will cover the presence of protected or notable species and invasive nonnative plants on site and the habitats present.
The surveys are a basic form of ecological site assessment and can be carried out at any time of year, although certain habitats may need additional more detailed assessments at specific times of year; such as grassland surveys in mid-summer, woodland surveys in the spring and heathland surveys in the autumn. The survey method is designed to catalogue and map the various habitats within the site.
The findings of the surveys are presented in a comprehensive Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Report (PEAR) including habitat maps showing the specific habitats present on the site prepared using MapInfo Professional, the protected or notable species and invasive non-native plant species present on the site, evaluations of the value of the habitats and recommendations relating to the additional surveys, enhancements or design changes required prior to the planning permission being submitted.
Our team have extensive training and experience in PEA surveys of all types of habitat. Where required we will work with the site design team to draw up timescales for the required surveys and to advise on changes to the site design and enhancement measures required to reduce the ecological impact of the site and ensure the scheme meets the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Although our team has extensive experience of the planning process the final decision on the scheme will always be made by the local planning authority and therefore some consultation with the local authority ecologist is also advised throughout the design process.
Species We Deal With
We cover a wide range of species, find out more by viewing our dedicated species pages.
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