Ecological Services

ECOLOGICAL SERVICES

Minimising environmental impacts, maximising environmental opportunities: Black & Veatch have extensive experience in statutory liaison, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Ecological Impact Assessment for EIA. We work with our clients to provide technical expertise and deliver pragmatic solutions to ecological constraints.

BUILDING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Ecological Services is a specialist technical group within Black & Veatch. Experienced ecologists and environmental scientists provide specialist input to many development studies, ranging widely in design, scale, location and environment.

Black & Veatch’s ecology team has a wide breadth of experience in statutory liaison, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Ecological Impact Assessment for EIA. We have worked on a wide variety of projects throughout the UK, for statutory agencies and the private sector.

Our ecologists are all members of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and most are Chartered Ecologists and/or Chartered Environmentalists. We also have members of the Association for Environmental and Ecological Clerk of Works.

Baseline & Monitoring Water Utilities Projects Survey Projects SOUTHERN STRATEGIC SUPPORT SCHEME DURDHAM DOWN COMBINED MAIN SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS

BRISTOL WATER, UNITED KINGDOM BRISTOL WATER, UNITED KINGDOM Detailed botanical survey over Clifton and Granny With only a 6 week survey window and 2 weeks’ notice, Downs to inform pipeline route selection. Black & Veatch planned and undertook HSI and eDNA or population surveys of 190 ponds to ensure no delay TETNEY TO SALTFLEET FAS to the construction programme of a 36km pipeline. Use of GIS enabled live records of landowner details ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, UNITED KINGDOM and survey results, minimising reporting time. Badger bait marking survey, water vole surveys and mitigation associated with improvements to 6.5km of coastal flood defence scheme.

GWNT Y MOR OFF-SHORE WINDFARM

NPOWER, UNITED KINGDOM Range of protected species surveys and mitigation for onshore cables and new substation, including a noctule bat maternity roost.

SHEEPLANDS WTW AND BOWSEY HILL RESERVOIR

THAMES WATER, UNITED KINGDOM Carried out badger, nesting bird, reptile and amphibian surveys, monitoring and mitigation Grass snakes are a widespread and commonly encountered for the upgrade of the Water Treatment Works. UK protected species

BUILDING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Habitat Creation & Enhancement Projects We have capabilities in survey, licence applications & mitigation KILNSEA WETLANDS RESTORATION for most protected species:

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, UNITED KINGDOM zz Bats Evaluation and development of a 43 hectare zz Great crested newts wetland site, providing expert advice on how coastal zz Badgers processes would impact on Natura 2000 features. zz Dormice Shortlisted for an EA Project Excellence 2012 Award zz Reptiles and 2015 CIEEM Large Scale Nature Conservation zz Water voles Award (Commended). Stakeholder engagement to zz Otters engender a common purpose. zz Natterjack toads zz White-clawed crayfish DONNA NOOK MANAGED REALIGNMENT zz Schedule 1 birds zz Schedule 4 plants ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, UNITED KINGDOM Design of a 110 hectare intertidal habitat on the Humber Estuary. Included ecological enhancements; creation of natterjack toad and water vole habitat and Mitigation & Site dune restoration. Prepared birdstrike management plan, Supervision Projects undertook full protected species, wintering and breeding bird surveys, Ecological Impact Assessment and RIVERS PARRETT AND TONE DREDGE Appropriate Assessment. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, UNITED KINGDOM Following unprecedented flooding of the Somerset FAIRBOURNE FLOOD RISK Levels in winter 2013/14, Black & Veatch produced MANAGEMENT SCHEME the Environmental Statement for the dredging of an 8km stretch of the Rivers Parrett and Tone. A Habitats NATURAL RESOURCES WALES, WALES Regulations Assessment was also carried out, as well A fluvial and tidal flood alleviation scheme partly with as surveys, production of method statements, Snowdonia National Park and a SAC. The scheme monitoring during construction and the ECW role. incorporated flood storage, coastal re-alignment, Environment Agency feedback on the project was new channels, habitat creation and improvements to overwhelmingly positive and despite the short deadlines, existing defences. Our design and restoration of the Black & Veatch impressed with the level of ecological borrow area won the 2015 CIEEM Small Scale Nature mitigation that was implemented. It also won the clients Conservation Award. Black & Veatch provided the national Project Excellence Award for Programme and environmental assessment and planning application. Project Delivery.

DOLGELLAU FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT SCHEME

NATURAL RESOURCES WALES, WALES In addition to on-site ECW supervision during the construction of flood defences through Dolgellau town centre, a Black & Veatch licensed bat ecologist prepared a protected species mitigation license application, including survey interpretation and detailed method statement followed by on site supervision during construction and mitigation works. Inspection of Great Crested Newt During Pond Survey

WWW.BV.COM Ecological Impact Assessment & BREEAM Projects We offer comprehensive

NOTTINGHAM TRENT LEFT BANK FLOOD ecological services from initial ALLEVIATION SCHEME site appraisals to detailed

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, UNITED KINGDOM biological monitoring, including: Production of Ecology chapter within an Environmental zz Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) Statement for a 27km flood defence scheme. zz Phase 1 and 2 botanical surveys, To mitigate for impacts on a SSSI, Black & Veatch including NVC–National Vegetation designed and managed more than 6 hectares of Classification surveys compensatory wetland habitat creation. zz River corridor and habitat surveys Other ecological enhancements included construction zz Protected species surveys, mitigation and of floating otter holts and new water control structures licensing. We hold licenses for England, for water level management. Scotland and Wales

zz Breeding and wintering bird surveys LEEDS WEST ACADEMY zz Hedgerow surveys zz Freshwater invertebrate sampling; INTERSERVE PROJECT SERVICES, biological water quality monitoring UNITED KINGDOM zz Management of marine and freshwater BREEAM assessment of school redevelopment under ecological surveys the BSF initiative. This included baseline ecological zz Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA) survey, impact assessment, mitigation package for zz Ecological credits for EcoHomes and BRE construction phase and a post-construction habitat Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) management plan. zz Mitigation and compensation design and implementation

zz Review and design of green infrastructure SHOTTON WORKS zz Evaluating ecosystem services, benchmarking and biodiversity offsetting TATA STEEL, UNITED KINGDOM zz Habitat restoration, creation and translocation Ecological appraisals of various developments across the steel works site. Grassland translocation, zz Habitat and strategic management plans Habitats Regulations screening assessment, zz Ecological site supervision and clerk of works protected species survey and enhancement zz Water Framework Directive assessments measures were undertaken and BREEAM zz Invasive species surveys and assessments carried out. management plans

BLACK & VEATCH 3rd Floor, One City Place, Queens Road, Chester, CH1 3BQ, UK

For further information please contact:

Dr. Emma Stevens | Technical Director, Head of Environmental Services P +44 (0) 1244-304-110 | E [email protected]