Ecological Surveys in London (Boroughs)

Ecology Survey City of London

Indigo Surveys carry out professional, trusted fieldwork to provide you with ecology surveys in London when you need them. Input your requirements now for a free quote. 

Ecology Survey London

Areas covered by our Ecology Surveys, including the City of London and all 32 London boroughs: 

What is an Ecological Survey?

Here at Indigo Surveys, we believe you should receive quality prompt service and value for your money. Our services throughout the Greater London area prove this as we employ some of the most skilled and passionate specialists in the ecological survey industry. From a protected plant to a bat survey in London, Indigo specialists are here to help. 

Ecology Surveys in London are becoming more common, as the demand for more development rises, this can put pressure on wildlife and flora and fauna within London’s borders. The main protection for them is the environmental legislation that mandates that every development proposed within an area thought to have protected animal and plant life must be thoroughly investigated via an ecological survey. 

Find out more about ecological surveys in London, such as how long they take, how much they cost and what the process consists of. 

Ecological Surveys

An Ecological Survey is a set of two different steps for an overall plan that will determine several factors about the environment and your development. 

The first step is as follows. 

Preliminary Ecological Appraisal

Confusing as it may be, the PEA is broken up into phases itself: 

Desktop Study

Field Study

The Desktop Study is aptly named, as it’s essentially a scan of documentation and records about what the area in question may contain. The field study follows, with a specialist ecologist heading to the proposed development zone and searching the area for flora and fauna. How these are specifically done depends entirely on the environment. 

Essentially, the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal is about establishing the existence of protected animals and plants rather than investigating the impact of the development on their continued living, or a plan to counteract any damage the plan may have on wildlife. If nothing is found, the survey ends here and your development will usually be allowed. 

If protected life is found in the zone, then the survey moves on to its second step. Understand that there are different categories of surveys. A Bat Survey in London is going to involve different monitoring than a tree survey, for example. 

Ecological Impact Assessment

This step takes the results of the last step and creates a process that will determine how the developed site within the London Boroughs will affect the protected life. 

You will be asked to adjust your development plan to include protections for the eco-life and habitats present in the area. These protections can range from an appliance to offset the disruption your development will make to live at the site (bird feeder etc.), or could even include simply moving the development to a less affected area. 

Alternatively, if you can prove that your development helps the local populace in some way, then the damages may be offset simply by this added value. 

How long do Ecological Surveys last? 

This, of course, depends on whether you clear the first steps or not. 

Surveys typically take about a year but can push on to two years or longer with inefficient planning or lack of preparation. This is why you must hire surveyors that put you first. Indigo Surveys has well over a decade of expertise and we make sure to produce comprehensive, prioritised reports that reduce your chance of unnecessary delays. 

For more information, please contact us.