Bournemouth: Urban Growth alongside Biodiversity
Bournemouth, located on the south coast of England, is a thriving seaside town known for its award-winning beaches, Victorian architecture, and urban development. With a population of over 190,000, Bournemouth forms part of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole BCP Council area, a single unitary authority and the local planning authority for the region.
Despite its built-up areas, Bournemouth is rich in natural habitats and biodiversity, making ecology a vital part of the planning process. The town is surrounded by protected heathlands, coastal habitats, and ancient woodlands, with ecological features often present on development sites or nearby.
Key Ecological Features in Bournemouth
Bournemouth lies adjacent to and overlaps with several nationally and internationally designated ecological sites, including Dorset Heathlands Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation, globally important for rare heathland species, reptiles, and birds; Sites of Special Scientific Interest such as Talbot Heath, supporting sand lizards, smooth snakes, and nightjars; the River Stour and its tributaries, which provide habitat for otters, water voles, and a variety of freshwater fish and invertebrates, along with urban greenspaces, brownfield sites, gardens, and coastal cliffs supporting nesting peregrines, swifts, and a variety of bat species.
Species of ecological importance include bats (all UK species are protected), reptiles (common lizard, slow worm, grass snake, sand lizard, and smooth snake), great crested newts, nesting birds (including schedule 1 species such as Dartford warbler), otters, barn owls, rare invertebrates on heathland and coastal habitats and invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam (controlled under separate regulations). These sensitive habitats mean that many developments in Bournemouth require some input from ecological consultants before planning permission can be granted.
Protection for wildlife in this part of West Sussex
BCP Council is the planning authority for Bournemouth, and it is legally obligated to ensure that ecological impacts are fully considered as part of any development proposal. Developers and applicants must demonstrate that they have assessed and mitigated any potential harm to protected habitats or species in their planning applications.
Ecology surveys in Bournemouth must comply with several key pieces of legislation including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended); the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017; the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 and the Environment Act 2021 which introduced Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) as a requirement for most developments from 2024 onward.
When Is an Ecology Survey Needed?
You may need an ecology survey in Bournemouth if your development is located near protected habitats like heathlands, rivers, or ancient woodland; if you plan to convert or demolish buildings that may contain bats or nesting birds; if your land includes ponds, hedgerows, or rough grassland or your planning application triggers a screening assessment by the local authority recommending ecological input. Early identification of ecological issues can prevent costly delays and ensure your application is not rejected or stalled during the planning process.
Types of Ecology Surveys We Offer
We deliver a complete range of ecology surveys in Bournemouth tailored to the needs of your site. The process begins with a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA), a desk-based study and site walkover that identifies any ecological constraints and recommends further survey work if required. If the PEA highlights potential for protected species, we offer range of targeted surveys.
These include bat activity surveys: if your plans have the potential to disturb bats, several bat survey requirements may need to be carried out such as checks for roosting bats which will look for signs of bats such as bat droppings, a preliminary roost assessment, bat roosts, dusk emergence surveys and dawn re-entry surveys. Bat activity surveys can only be carried out in the summer months. Other protected species surveys may be required including reptile surveys (refugia inspections for slow worms, common lizards, etc.); badger surveys, dormouse surveys, otter and water vole surveys; bird surveys (breeding, overwintering, and migratory birds) surveys for barn owls and great crested newts.
We also conduct habitat classification surveys including the Phase 1 Habitat Survey; National Vegetation Classification (NVC) for more detailed habitat assessment and surveys for invasive non-native species, as well as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Assessments using DEFRA metric calculations to demonstrate that your development achieves at least a 10% net gain in biodiversity.
The Ecology Survey Process: on-site inspections
Our ecology survey process is designed to be efficient and planning focused. It starts with an initial consultation to review your site, followed by a PEA (which can be conducted year-round). If required, this is followed by protected species surveys (during the correct seasonal windows). Detailed ecology reports are compiled for submission to the local authority. Where needed, mitigation and enhancement plans are provided by experienced ecologists and could involve retaining or enhancing habitats on site, installing bat and bird boxes, creating ponds or wildflower areas, timing works outside sensitive breeding or hibernation periods or relocating species under licence where necessary. Our ecological consultancy can also handle the application process for European protected species licences from Natural England and provide ongoing ecological monitoring, habitat creation plans, and BNG implementation advice where required.
Contact Us for a Free Quote Today
Our fully qualified and licensed ecologists have local expertise and can provide a fast, responsive service to meet your planning deadlines and satisfy Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council requirements. Our ecological consultancy works with private individuals and commercial clients offering expert advice on protected species surveys including bat surveys and surveys for great crested newts, habitat surveys and environmental management. Ecological consultants work to good practice guidelines to help you obtain planning permission for your development project.
For a free quote, call us on the telephone number above, email us, or get in touch via our contact page. We will need the address of your development site and brief information about your plans. If you decide to accept our quote, we can arrange a convenient time for a site visit.