Ecological Planning & Research

31/10/2025

Our latest get together as a team was glow in the dark mini golf near our head office in Wi******er.

We putted our way through neon-lit landmarks from around the world and had a great time doing it, with some of the team glowing a little brighter than usual!

Building a sense of community is really important to us, and socials like these are a great way to celebrate that.

22/10/2025

Last week we welcomed Laura Kidd to EPR, who has joined the team as an Assistant Ecologist.

Laura comes to EPR following a career change after working within the Environmental Education sector for 20 years. During this time, she held roles across a variety of schools and institutions, helping to educate and connect people of all ages with nature.

Her experience includes delivering early years forest school provision – outdoor learning sessions that encourage young children to connect with nature – as well as creating and leading adult wellbeing sessions centred around being outdoors. Most recently, she tutored and served as an Identiplant tutor for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), supporting others to develop their plant identification skills.

Laura is looking forward to taking on new challenges, utilising her Environmental Science degree in a new way and combining it with her passion for nature and conservation. Fascinated by all things botanical, she’s excited to be joining the firm and particularly keen to get involved with the botany team.

We wish Laura the best of luck in her new role and hope she enjoys getting stuck into life at EPR!

10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day – a reminder of how important it is to look after our mental wellbeing and the different ways we can support it.

At EPR, we take this seriously. With five Mental Health First Aiders across our team, all of our people managers and HR professionals have baseline training, so everyone in the business has a trained point of contact. Knowing this support is available helps create a culture where mental health is acknowledged and valued.

Beyond the workplace, our wellbeing is shaped by the world around us. Spending time in greenspaces – forests, woodlands, nature reserves, trails, wetlands – can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Yet around one-third of people in England lack access to quality greenspace within a 15-minute walk. As Mind highlights, access to nature is an important part of supporting mental health for everyone.

The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB), if passed in its current form, risks worsening this situation. Part 3 threatens environmental safeguards and could threaten natural areas that people rely on for recreation, relaxation, and connection with nature. Limiting access to these spaces doesn’t just harm the environment, it also has real implications for our mental health. CIEEM and other environmental organisations have proposed amendments to the Bill, soon to be tabled at Report stage in the House of Lords, that would help make the planning system more efficient while safeguarding nature, offering a way forward that supports both development and the natural spaces people depend on.

Today, we’re reminded that the natural world plays a real role in our wellbeing, and that safeguarding it benefits us all.

If you’re looking to connect with nature, Mind offers practical tips to get started. Explore their suggestions here:

Connecting with nature can be good for your mental health. Learn about the benefits of nature in your everyday life. Read our tips and ideas to get started.

09/10/2025

Back in April, we welcomed several new faces to the team, from university placements to seasonal roles and specialist support. Among them were Ellie and Kiah, and we’re pleased to share that both will be staying with us permanently at the end of their temporary contracts.

Ellie joined as a seasonal team member at The Barn, our headquarters in Wi******er, and will be stepping into the role of Assistant Ecologist. Kiah started in a bespoke, part time role providing survey technology support at HQ and will continue with us as Field Data Coordinator and Timetabler.

Congratulations to Ellie and Kiah! It’s great to have you staying on as part of the team.

We’d also like to say thank you to Ash, Jack, Josh and Meghan, who have now completed their seasonal contracts. It’s been a real pleasure having you with us, and we’re grateful for all your hard work over the summer.

03/10/2025

Two of EPR’s bat licensed tree climbers, Chris Mungo and Phil Brown, were on site in East Hampshire in September to check tree-mounted bat boxes which were erected in 2022 as part of monitoring required by a Natural England bat licence. They recorded a total of nine Brown Long-eared bats.

Distinguishing between Brown Long-eared bats and the rarer Grey Long-eared bat can only reliably be done through DNA analysis of droppings or by taking measurements of bats in the hand (including tragus width and thumb length).

The nine bats recorded were all processed by Phil and Chris and confirmed to be Brown Long-eared bats.

It's great to see that the bats have found the boxes and moved in!

18/09/2025

In ecology, survey success depends on careful forward planning. Warm (ish!) weather is still with us but temperatures will soon begin to drop. A number of seasonal survey windows will therefore close over the next few months.

Key surveys closing soon:

• 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 – September is the last optimal month. After this, cooler temperatures and reduced activity make surveys increasingly difficult.
• 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐬 – September/October is the last opportunity to carry out bat activity surveys / transect surveys to understand how bats are using habitats.
• 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 – The optimal season will close at the end of October as vegetation dies back and water levels drop, making signs harder to spot.
• 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 – Surveys must be completed by the end of September. If you’re affecting wildflower-rich grasslands, veteran trees, or sandy substrates, get these booked in now.

Surveys with longer windows:

• 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐞 – Surveys can continue until the end of the year by searching for fallen Hazel nuts, a good alternative if nest tube surveys weren’t arranged earlier.
• 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬 – Now is the time to plan overwintering surveys for farmland, grassland, or coastal habitats. Surveys can be conducted from September to March, with the core season for most species running from November to February.

If you’re interested in receiving survey reminders, sign up to our free email service. We’ll let you know when key seasonal survey windows are about to open or close. You can do so by contacting us through this link here:

Contact Your Name (required) Your Company (required) Your Email (required) Your Phone Number (required) Postcode of Site (required) Your Message (required) Head Office Ecological Planning & Research Ltd The Barn Micheldever Station Wi******er Hampshire SO21 3AR Eastern Region Office Ecological Plann...

15/09/2025

Recently, our Group Strategy Director, Ben Kite, attended a discussion at the House of Lords in his capacity as Chair of CIEEM’s Strategic Policy Panel.

The session, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management - CIEEM and sponsored by Baroness Barbara Young, brought together parliamentarians and experts on ecology, planning, and development. They discussed new ways to reform the planning system to deliver ‘win-win’ outcomes for both nature and development and examined how well Part Three of the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) might help achieve such aspirations.

Key themes included:

• Concerns that Part Three risks a regression in environmental protection, undermining public trust in the planning system, whilst also creating possible delays and uncertainties for developers.

• General recognition that problems often stem not from existing environmental legislation, but in how it is interpreted and applied – which could be improved with better guidance closing skills gaps.

• Recognition of missed opportunities – such as revisiting the purposes of the Green Belt so that any development within it can help drive nature recovery.

• Issues of resourcing and expertise – particularly the chronic shortage of ecologists within local authorities and statutory bodies, creating further uncertainty and delays.

• Developers’ perspectives, with recognition that earlier collaboration with ecologists can deliver clarity, certainty, and stronger outcomes for both projects and the natural environment.

• The need for vision and ecological literacy, with calls for Government, parliamentarians, and the public to better understand nature’s role as an essential foundation for health, climate resilience, and the economy.

• The need for broad consultation and cross-sector collaboration if planning reforms are to be effective.

CIEEM’s proposed amendments to the Bill – now tabled by Baroness Young for the Committee Stage – were also discussed as constructive steps towards ensuring proportionate, evidence-based decision-making that benefits both people and the environment.

For more information, you can read CIEEM’s full summary of the event and view the proposed amendments here: https://cieem.net/cieem-engages-with-parliamentarians-on-planning-and-infrastructure-bill/

At EPR, we are proud that Ben continues to bring ecological expertise into national policy conversations, helping to shape a planning system that balances the pressing requirement for development with the urgent need for nature recovery.

On Tuesday this week, 2 September 2025, CIEEM hosted an evening of discussion kindly sponsored by Baroness Barbara Young of Old Scone between ten parliamentarians from across the political spectrum and experts in the fields of ecology, planning and development on solutions to both allowing faster de...

09/09/2025

We recently held our annual ‘Pimm’s & Pudding’ social at The Barn, our head office in Hampshire. The team came together to, as you guessed, drink Pimm’s and enjoy some pudding!

As always, the event featured our bake-off competition, with the team showing off their impressive baking skills. It was a fun-filled day in the sun and a great opportunity to spend time together outside of work.

Later this month, we’ll put our trivia skills to the test at a pub quiz. Stay tuned to see which team comes out victorious!

07/08/2025

Following our previous post on the planning and delivery challenges raised by Part 3 of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill, here we turn to some of the possible wider implications for developers.

The Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) mechanism raises several unanswered questions about how environmental outcomes will be secured and what risks developers may carry. Without further clarity, the currently proposed framework could add risk and costs, rather than reducing them.

Additional issues include:

• 𝐍𝐨 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 on conservation measures, creating potential gaps in delivery and accountability
• 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬, as Natural England must set the levy on predicted costs over the 10-year period of an EDP (likely requiring considerable contingency), including the cost of potential remediation measures, if the original measures in an EDP fail
• 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 during and after site clearance, with possible legal and reputational consequences
• 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 granted by the Bill could lead to future regulatory changes with limited parliamentary oversight, adding uncertainty

Understanding these issues is essential for managing project risks and maintaining delivery timelines. For a full breakdown read our analysis here: https://www.epr.uk.com/2025/07/planning-infrastructure-bill/

If you have any questions about the Bill or would like to discuss how it may affect your projects, please get in touch: info@epr.uk.com

31/07/2025

Part 3 of the Government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill intends to introduce Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) and a Nature Restoration Levy (NRL). While these measures claim to simplify environmental regulation by ‘disapplying’ specified existing environmental legislation within EDP areas, they also bring new complexities for developers.

Concerningly, Natural England’s (NE) CEO, Marian Spain, explained to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee on 30 June 2025 that, under the Bill’s framework, paying the Nature Restoration Levy does not guarantee planning permission. Since the Local Planning Authority (LPA) remains the decision-maker, it could take the view that the measures within an EDP are unlikely to work. This raises the worrying prospect of developers potentially having to pay the NRL (which can be made mandatory), whilst still facing additional local mitigation requirements to address the same impact that is covered by an EDP, before gaining planning consent.

Furthermore, mitigation efforts funded by the levy could be located away from the development sites, raising concerning questions around localised environmental benefits and relationships with a developer’s local stakeholders.

Key considerations for developers include:

• Planning permissions can potentially still be refused despite levy payments, if the LPA is not convinced by the measures set out in an EDP
• Additional local mitigation demands may overlap with the levy
• Environmental restoration may occur outside development areas, limiting local benefits

These examples underscore why developers must carefully assess and understand potential risks and costs under the new system, if the Bill gains Royal Assent without further amendments.

For a detailed analysis of the implications, see our full briefing here: https://www.epr.uk.com/2025/07/planning-infrastructure-bill/

29/07/2025

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is moving quickly through Parliament, with stated aims of speeding up development and simplifying environmental regulation.

While much has rightly been said about environmental rollbacks, there are also significant and underexplored implications for developers. Without key amendments, the Bill could introduce new risks – including legal uncertainty, delivery delays, increased costs, and reputational challenges.

At EPR, we’ve taken a close look at Part 3 and the recently proposed Government amendment. Our analysis outlines how we think it could affect delivery, liability, and long-term planning for our developer clients, in the hope that some of these concerns may be properly addressed before the Bill gains Royal Assent. Read our in-depth review here: https://www.epr.uk.com/2025/07/planning-infrastructure-bill/

Stay tuned for additional posts where we’ll break down potential impacts in more detail.

Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Briefing for Developers on Part 3 The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is currently progressing through Parliament at speed. While its stated aim is to promote development and streamline environmental regulation, closer examination reveals a number of serious and un...

25/07/2025

The survey season is marching on with key windows open for a variety of species and habitats.

This includes bat surveys, particularly for identifying maternity roosts – sites where female bats gather to raise their young. The optimal season closes at the end of August as pups begin to fly and roosts start to disperse. Other types of bat roosts, used for swarming and mating, can still be surveyed between August and September.

It's also a good time of year for certain botanical surveys, especially neutral/chalk grasslands, hedgerows, and wetlands.

If your project is affecting watercourses, there is now another optimal window for the following:

• White Clawed Crayfish: best surveyed from now through October
• Water Voles: surveys are most effective between July and September

If your project may affect these species or habitats, now is the time to act. Missing seasonal windows can lead to delays in assessments and project timelines. We’re here to help – reach out to discuss survey needs at info@epr.uk.com