Mitigation & Licenses

Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy provides a range of professional services connected with mitigation & licenses for protected species.

We can provide the following services:

Liaison with Statutory Government Conservation Agencies

Good communication is vital when managing complex projects with tight deadlines. Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy is experienced in liaising with staff from NatureScot, Natural England (NE), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and local Planning Authorities.

We aim to ensure your project runs as smoothly as possible and that all issues regarding protected species licensing and mitigation are resolved in an efficient, cost effective and timely manner.

Protected Species License Applications

If a proposed activity is considered likely to have an impact on a European Protected Species (EPS) or UK protected species a licence to disturb a protected species  may be required from NatureScot in Scotland, NRW in Wales or NE in England before any work can go ahead.

As part of a licence application the following tests will need to be satisfied:

• Why the proposed activity is necessary
• Why there is no other satisfactory course of action
• Why the proposed activity will not be detrimental to the maintenance of the population of the species concerned at a favourable conservation status in their natural range. This will involve the preparation of a Mitigation Plan.

Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy will guide you through the licence application process and prepare applications on your behalf.

Species Protection Plans and Method Statements

A Species Protection Plan (SPP) or Method Statement is required as part of the protected species licence application process and should include methodology detailing how the long term conservation status of the local and UK protected species populations will be maintained and where possible enhanced.

Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy can advise on mitigation to be included in your development proposals, prepare a SSP for submission with a protected species licence application and produce Method Statements agreed with NatureScot, NRW or NE.

Ecological ‘Watching briefs’ and Contract Supervision

If required as part of the Mitigation Plan or Method Statement, Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy can provide a ‘watching brief’. This will involve an ecologist remaining on site during sensitive development works in order to monitor progress and provide advice and contingency measures for new or unexpected ecological issues as they arise.

We are also able to provide contract supervision for the implementation of mitigation measures outlined in Mitigation Plans or Method Statements.

Post-development Protected Species Monitoring Programmes

Where mitigation is a condition of a planning permission, it is important that robust monitoring programmes are put in place to assess the success of the mitigation measures and to trigger any remedial measures should they fail.

Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy is experienced in developing and implementing monitoring proposals and recommends that monitoring proposals are agreed early in the planning phase of your development.

Habitat Management

In some cases mitigation may require the restoration or creation of new habitat to compensate for loss of habitat that has occurred as a result of a new development.

Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy can provide advice on habitat restoration, the creation of new habitats and produce management plans for habitat creation and habitat enhancement schemes.