Ecology & Biodiversity Consultancy Services

Our ecology & biodiversity consultants can manage all ecological aspects of a project – identifying pragmatic nature-based solutions to help protect and enhance biodiversity and the wider natural environment. We have long and wide-ranging experience in ecosystem and biodiversity net gain (BNG) assessments, Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA) and Habitats Regulations Assessments in terrestrial, aquatic and marine environments with regional ecology consultancy hubs across the UK.

Excellence in ecology

Sweco provides a wide ‘eco-system’ of ecological and biodiversity consultancy services, with proven outcomes for clients including the West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust and the Comrie Flood Protection Scheme. These range from due diligence reviews of legislative requirements for development – from local to international level – through to all aspects of ecology and nature-based solutions relating to planning services, placemaking and net zero urbanisation. All underpinned by an unrivalled suite of multi-disciplinary planning, design and engineering solutions.

Our focus is on helping clients meet their compliance and sustainability obligations in tandem. Through a complete spectrum of ecological consultancy specialisms, we can advise and act on biodiversity plans in the round, support net gain efforts, promote natural capital protection (and enhancement), address wildlife/habitat conservation challenges and help implement optimum blue/green infrastructures.

Richard Webber-Salmon Principal Ecologist at Sweco

A wide range of protected species surveys and assessments, such as Habitats Regulations Assessments, are included within our portfolio, and our project experience ranges from small scale residential development and commercial projects all the way up to large-scale infrastructure work.

More recently, we have added advisory services including biodiversity net gain assessments, natural capital assessments and ecosystem services reviews to our offering. We also offer ecological clerks of works and environmental advisory services for investigatory, construction and maintenance projects, and suitably qualified ecologists for BREEAM.

By providing green infrastructure that enables the conservation of rare and endangered species and habitats, we have the privilege of being able to have a positive influence on natural capital and ecosystem services – and playing a key role in providing a sustainable future for all.

Lorna McDonald Technical Manager, Ecology at Sweco

Our core ecology services

  • Protected species surveys
  • International Due Diligence
  • Biodiversity net gain assessments
  • Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA)
  • Habitats Regulations Appraisals/assessments (HRA)
  • Habitat surveys
  • Invasive non-native species survey
  • Ecological Clerk of Works
  • Ecological Impact Assessments
  • Ecological mitigation design and implementation
  • Protected species licensing
  • Habitat and species protection plans
  • Groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystem assessments
  • Habitat and botanical survey (UK Habitat Classification, NVC, Phase 1)
  • BREEAM advisory services
  • Digital tools & analysis including infrared cameras, GIS, thermal imaging, camera trapping, bat sound analysis

Ecology compliance support

  1. National and local policy
  2. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
  3. NERC
  4. Habitats Regulations
  5. Town and Country Planning Act
  6. Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011

FREE Download: Sweco Ecology Calendar

Our exclusive ecology calendar is designed to help clients with project planning throughout the year. Each calendar allows you to uncover vital data at the right times – for example Protected Species Surveys are best undertaken at certain times of the year, and can vary according to the species concerned and the type of survey required.

 

Together with our clients and the collective knowledge of our 22,000 engineers, consultants and other specialists, we co-create solutions to address urbanisation, capture the power of digitalisation, and make our societies more sustainable.​ With international multi-disciplinary teams, we can call on the right insight and technical capability at the right time from across Buildings, Infrastructure, Advisory & Planning and Compliance.​