The Brief
We provided ecological technical leadership for a nationally significant highway dualling scheme, supporting the Detailed Design stage of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. The project includes carriageway widening, junction upgrades, drainage, lighting, earthworks and strategic landscaping across a predominantly rural landscape.
Our role was to ensure ecological compliance, update baseline data, secure necessary licences, and embed mitigation into the evolving engineering design — enabling the scheme to progress confidently towards construction.
Our Role
Acting as Ecological Technical Lead within a multi-disciplinary design team, we delivered:
- Ongoing ecological advice throughout detailed design
- Ecological Impact Assessments of design changes
- Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessments (baseline and post-development iterations)
- Input into the Landscape and Environmental Management Plan (LEMP)
- Review of environmental commitments and compliance documentation
- Protected species licensing
Our project manager was embedded within the client’s team, attending regular design and progress meetings to ensure ecological risks were identified early and resolved efficiently.
Survey and Assessment Programme
We delivered a comprehensive programme of habitat and protected species surveys across approximately 100 hectares, including:
- UK Habitat Classification and condition assessments
- National Vegetation Classification (NVC) surveys of sensitive sites
- Hedgerow and invasive non-native species surveys
- Bat emergence, activity, hibernation and aerial tree inspections
- Great crested newt eDNA surveys
- Barn owl, otter and water vole surveys and monitoring
- White-clawed crayfish surveys under permit
- Badger surveys, bait-marking and camera monitoring
We also secured a bat mitigation licence to support lawful progression of works, which involved installing exclusion devices, followed by soft-stripping and demolition of the roost under supervision and relocation of any bats in sit
Design Innovation & Mitigation
We worked closely with engineers and hydrologists to integrate ecological mitigation directly into infrastructure design. This included:
- Artificial badger sett design
- Bespoke water vole and otter ledges within culverts
- Ecological mitigation areas
- Bat screening measures
- Landscape design optimisation to meet BNG trading rules
Where initial BNG assessments identified shortfalls (notably for wet woodland habitat), we collaborated with the landscape team to revise species mixes and planting proposals to achieve compliance.
Outcomes
- Robust, up-to-date ecological baseline
- Clear assessment of design changes and risk
- Achieved BNG compliance
- Secured protected species licence
- Integrated mitigation aligned with engineering feasibility
- Supported smooth progression toward construction
Client Feedback
“The ecology team have been consistently approachable and have played a pivotal role in resolving specific ecological issues during the detailed design process. The quality of work has been excellent and often delivered within tight timescales.”
Delivering practical, design-led ecology for complex infrastructure projects.
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Eastern England
