Timeline

Thomson were appointed by RPS to carry out a number or protected species surveys ready for a proposed 24km of new motorway, and a 2.5km long cable-stayed viaduct crossing of the River Usk. In addition, major remodelling of M4 junctions 23 and 29 was planned.

A range of ecological surveys were required to provide baseline data, used to support the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the scheme. The team at Thomson undertook:

• Great crested newt eDNA surveys of 400 waterbodies
• Breeding birds transect covering 230 hectares
• Breeding waver surveys covering 1,056 hectares
• Tree inspections for bats of 37 trees
• Installation of 545 dormouse tubes
• Bat emergent surveys of 18 trees
• Wintering bird transect survey within the footprint and 500m from the scheme boundary.

Thomson were commissioned by Bam Nuttall for work on a project led by the RSPB and Crossrail that would see waste material from the major cross - London rail project being used in the creation of a new 670 hectares nature reserve in Essex. The land is being transformed into marshes, lagoons and mudflats to attract birds and other wildlife.

Our involvement was predominantly in relation to reptile and water vole translocation and included:

• Approximately 20 ecologists translocating reptiles on site, to a tight deadline, and within the optimal translocation season
• A team of 30 ecologists the following spring, who translocated water voles from the area to a suitable receptor site under a protected species licence. This translocation is the biggest of its kind undertaken to date in the UK
• Our contracting team who supplied and installed the water vole fencing, installed earth coffer dams to block off ditches and facilitate their drain-down; cleared over 125,000m2 of vegetation within ditches and on the banks to facilitate the trapping and displacement of the species; sensitively searched 9,000m of water vole ditches and over 1,000 burrows; supplied and installed 30 custom water vole release pens within the receptor area
• Working with Natural England and a doctorate student to test the efficacy of a new method of water vole displacement, alongside more traditional methods.

Thomson have been involved with HS2 works for a number of years in relation to surveying various sections of the proposed route. Following commitments made in the Environmental Statement, we were awarded the mitigation work on seven sites of phase one of the central section, C2a. In order to provide habitats for bats, great crested newts, other amphibians and reptiles to be translocated at a later stage of the project, we undertook:

• Creation of 37 ponds, ranging from 100m2 to 300m2, lined, planted with aquatic plants and the banks grass-seeded
• Planting of over 34,000 trees
• Planting of over 1.3km hedgerow
• Installation of fencing, field gates and kissing gates
• Soil preparation and seeding of over 16 hectares grass and wildflower seed
• Installation of 30 bat boxes
• Installation of 20 lifebuoys
• Construction of 5 reptile egg-laying heaps
• Construction of 20 hibernacula and 13 large reptile basking banks
• Construction of 4 permanent culverts and a permanent concrete entrance from the main road onto one of the sites.

Thomson was contracted to collect ecological baseline data and prepare technical appendices to inform the ecology chapter of the Environmental Statement for this 60km cable route in Norfolk.

This project included the design of survey scope, coordination of large ecology survey teams on a wide variety of survey types, quality control of data, preparation and quality assurance of technical appendices; and presentation at statutory consultee expert working group meetings.