Ecological Planning & Research

22/12/2025

Each year, we set aside a donation for charity, and our team gets to choose where it goes.

This year, the vote was incredibly close, so we’ve split our donation between HART Wildlife Rescue and Prickle Lodge Hedgehog Rescue – two causes that clearly mean a lot to our team.

• HART Wildlife Rescue operates a vital wildlife hospital in North East Hampshire, rescuing, treating and rehabilitating sick and injured wild animals. They are dedicated to the welfare of British wildlife, helping animals recover and return to the wild, while also educating the public on conservation.

• Prickle Lodge Hedgehog Rescue is a small, hands-on charity based in Hook, Hampshire. Run by a husband-and-wife team, they care for and rehabilitate sick, injured, and orphaned hedgehogs in the local area, helping them safely return to the wild.

We’re pleased our donation can contribute to the important work these charities do. Supporting wildlife and nature, and the vital work of small charities, are causes that really matter to us at EPR.

If you’d like to find out how you can help too, take a look at their websites here:

https://pricklelodge-hedgehogrescue.org/
https://hartwildlife.org.uk/

HART Wildlife Rescue is a UK registered charity (HART Wildlife Rescue, #1066760). HART deals with over 3,000 wildlife casualties every year, increasing annually.

11/12/2025

EPR's Ben Kite, gave evidence in February to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) inquiry into Housing Growth and Environmental Sustainability, in his capacity as Chair of CIEEM’s Strategic Policy Panel.

Recently, the EAC published its report, which makes clear that, contrary to the Government’s claims, nature is not a blocker to housing delivery.

Ben’s evidence is cited multiple times, supporting the Committee’s conclusion that a healthy environment is essential for building resilient towns and neighbourhoods, and underpinning the resilience of the whole economy.

The report is clear: the measures contained in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill are inadequate to meet either environmental or housing targets. The Committee criticises the Government’s approach and recommends limiting Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) to nutrient neutrality unless their wider impacts are properly assessed.

Nature and development need not be in opposition and can be delivered in tandem. EPR’s belief has always been that effective planning reform must protect biodiversity while enabling and expediting sustainable development. We’ll continue to advocate for solutions that follow evidence-based approaches to achieving genuine ‘win-win’ outcomes for both nature and people, and a planning system that works for everyone.

You can find the full report and its summary here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/210464/nature-not-a-blocker-to-housing-delivery-mps-find-in-new-report/

Nature is not a “blocker” to delivering new housing, but rather a necessity for building resilient towns and neighbourhoods, MPs argue in a report published today.

09/12/2025

Recently, Ben Kite, our Group Strategy Director, attended the CIEEM Autumn Conference, which focused on the critical task of bridging the evidence gap in ecology and environmental management.

The event highlighted the scale of complex environmental crises we face – from climate change to biodiversity loss – and the vital role of evidence in decision-making. With a persistent gap between ecological research and its practical application for policymakers, land managers, and communities, much work remains to bridge this disconnect and the ways we overcome it.

Ben participated in a panel discussion on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which, in its current and now final form, fails to deliver genuine ‘win-win’ outcomes for both nature and development. He was joined by other experts in the field to update CIEEM members and discuss the Bill’s implications.

Despite strong efforts from a cross-party group of Peers, key amendments were recently defeated in the House of Lords:

• The motion to limit the scope of Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) to key issues like nutrient neutrality, until the approach can be shown to work for other environmental features without harming nature or other key stakeholders including developers (Amendments 40B & 40C) did not proceed to a vote.

• The amendment to provide additional protection for chalk streams (Amendment 38B) was voted on but defeated.

The Bill will now return to the House of Commons for final approval, before moving on to gain Royal Assent. One positive development – though one that is non-binding, is the Government’s voluntary commitment that the first EDPs will focus solely on nutrient neutrality and will be evaluated before any wider rollout.

We now look to hold the Government accountable for how these new powers are exercised in practice.

02/12/2025

EPR is proud to announce that we have partnered with Carbon Neutral Britain to measure and offset our carbon footprint, and are now certified as a Carbon Neutral Business!

For the past 12 years EPR’s Environmental Group has been operating an internal Environmental Management System which took steps to measure our environmental impact and set targets for improvement, delivered through implementation of specific actions.

Over the past year, we’ve taken this a step further by calculating EPR’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions from day-to-day operations across our business – from office energy use and business travel to staff commuting and supply chain activities.

Through our partnership with Carbon Neutral Britain, we’ve offset our carbon footprint through verified reduction projects, including reforestation, clean energy initiatives and a UK based hay meadow restoration project.

Becoming carbon neutral means that the emissions we produce are offset by projects that actively remove or prevent the same amount of carbon from entering the atmosphere.

Measuring and offsetting our Carbon Footprint is an important step. Our Environmental Group is now in the process of developing an action plan to help reduce emissions across our business. We’re committed to continuing to reduce our emissions, improve our practices, and make a positive difference every year.

24/11/2025

Earlier this month, MPs voted on amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Despite strong support amongst opposition MPs, the amendments designed to put in place some safeguards for nature were defeated in the House of Commons, following Government encouragement and despite considerable abstention amongst Labour MPs.

The vote rejected Amendments 38 and 40, so the Bill has now returned to the House of Lords today for these amendments to be reconsidered, with the potential for them to be reinstated by the Peers.

Amendment 38 included measures to protect chalk streams from harmful development while Amendment 40 clarifies how Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) should be used, focused on strategic, ‘diffuse’ cumulative impacts that cause the biggest problems for developers, rather than enabling the direct destruction of protected sites or the habitats of protected species.

Here is a link to the voting record for Amendment 40 so you can see which MPs voted for or against the amendments: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-11-13/division/00D9D95D-FFF2-4F15-8742-752488E9A209/PlanningAndInfrastructureBill?outputType=Names

View the Hansard record of division 355 ( Planning and Infrastructure Bill) on Thursday 13 November 2025.

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...