The Ecology Unit, which houses the WBRC at the Butts in Warwick, also provides ecological advice relating to the planning process.
Many of our native plants and animal species are legally protected to varying degrees. For example all bat species, great crested newts and otters are protected under both UK and European law and badgers are protected under their own Badger Act. Planners therefore have to take into account protected species and sites when considering applications and that's where the Ecology Unit's consultation service comes in.
For each application, the team of Ecologists look at the plans and use mapping software to see if there are any records of protected species nearby that may be affected by the development. They also conduct site visits and surveys if more information is required to assess potential ecological impacts.
They then use all this informations to make an ecological recommendation to the planning department, which can be anything from approval without any ecological constraints to refusal. |