PROJECT OUTLINE

Rother District Council commissioned Temple (formally The Ecology Consultancy) to undertake a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal to support the planning application for the development of 220 new homes on two areas of land (each around 7 hectares).

The initial survey indicated that the site had the potential to support a wide range of protected species including bats, dormice, great crested newt, badger, water vole, breeding birds and reptiles.

Having carried out protected species surveys for these species we were invited by the Council to contribute to the site’s masterplanning in order to overcome any ecological constraints.

OUR ROLE

We are continuing to work at this site and others in the same area, providing protected species surveys, for Schedule 1 birds, Ecological Impact Assessment, production of working Method Statements, and as well as input into the masterplan.

Our arboriculture team also carried out surveys of an extensive area of woodland for a proposed highway scheme extending through a heavily wooded plot of land to the east of Battle Rail Station, East Sussex. Surveying several hundred features including a significant number of veteran trees and two areas of ancient semi-natural woodland.

We advised the client on tree constraints for the development and the impact on the existing individual trees and woodlands. The client used the information and recommendations in our reports and plans to make the necessary changes to avoid root protection areas, in turn allowing the successful retention of several ancient or veteran trees.