Ecological Planning & Research

02/04/2026

It’s officially spring!

As the days get longer and the weather warms up, wildlife is becoming active again and the survey season is already in full swing. Reptiles are emerging from hibernation and basking in the sunshine, while Great Crested Newts (GCN) are gathering in their ponds for breeding. There’s still time to arrange surveys, but where GCN population size estimates are needed, Natural England requires 2-3 visits before mid-May, so it’s worth booking soon.

This is also the perfect time to start looking at terrestrial invertebrates, as valuable assemblages can appear across a variety of habitats. Where proposals affect streams or watercourses, it’s worth checking for White-Clawed Crayfish.

Bats are becoming active too, with activity surveys possible from April and emergence surveys of potential roosts beginning in early May. This is typically a very busy survey month, so contact your ecologist now to discuss your requirements.

The breeding bird season is well underway, but surveys can still be carried out in woodland, farmland, hedgerows, coastal habitats and heathlands. Spring is also the ideal time to plan botanical surveys, particularly in woodlands and acid grasslands, before the optimal window closes at about the end of May.

If you have any questions about surveys this season or want to find out how we could help, get in touch with our team at info@epr.uk.com.

You can also sign up for our free service, EPR START, which emails subscribers to let them know when key ecological survey windows are about to open or close. Just fill out some basic details here to sign up: https://bit.ly/EPR-START

31/03/2026

Having played a key role at EPR for 20 years, we’re delighted to announce that Karen Colebourn has stepped into the role of the company’s Chair.

Most recently serving as Professional Standards Director, Karen will provide strategic guidance in her new role, helping the team to deliver the best outcomes for both clients and nature.

With over 40 years’ experience in professional ecology, Karen has run landscape scale field surveys of ancient woodland, grassland and rivers. She has both produced and reviewed numerous Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA) and Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA) for both developers and planning authorities. She led the team that produced the first EcIA Guidelines for the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), now the benchmark for ecologists, and has acted as an expert witness at over 50 public inquiries and EiPs.

Karen also brings a strong commitment to public engagement, having run field-based landscape history courses for visually impaired people for more than 30 years. She also supports her local Wildlife Trust, serving on one of its advisory committees and supporting their Local Wildlife Site system.

Karen said: “I’m honoured to take on the role of Chair at EPR. I’m committed to carrying forward Phil’s legacy – his long-term approach to ecology, his dedication to protecting and restoring irreplaceable habitats, and the careful, evidence-based way he guided projects. I’m excited to continue that work, supporting the team to deliver lasting, positive outcomes for clients, the public, wildlife, and the wider environment.”

Her appointment marks an important step for EPR as it continues to grow, guided by the principles and approach established over the company’s history. We congratulate Karen on this well-deserved role and and we look forward to the next chapter of EPR’s journey under her leadership.

25/03/2026

Six years on from when EPR helped fund a live camera and nest box on the roof of St Mary’s Church in Andover, a pair of Peregrine Falcons continues to return each year to breed. This spring, as they usually do around this time of year, the pair has laid eggs.

Peregrines are known for their incredible speed and hunting agility, and it’s always fascinating to watch their nesting activity up close. The camera usually focuses on the nest while the adults are on the eggs, and later in the season it zooms out once the chicks hatch and the adults begin bringing food.

The live-feed offers a great chance to follow the pair throughout their breeding season and see how they care for their chicks. It’s exciting to see them thriving year after year, and the footage provides a simple way for people to connect with nature.

You can follow their progress live here: https://worldcam.eu/liveview/31802

WorldCam features an extensive network of live webcams from around the World. Portal offers a map and the search engine for internet cameras. Search the portal for beach, ski, animal and other cams.

10/03/2026

Today is the final day to submit nominations for the Phil Colebourn Award for the Conservation of Irreplaceable Habitats, part of the annual awards run by the Chartered Institute
of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).

This new award has been established in memory of Phil Colebourn, founder of EPR and one of CIEEM’s earliest members. Phil was a lifelong champion of ancient biodiversity-rich habitats and a pioneer in understanding how landscape history can inform ecological conservation.

The award celebrates projects that have made a well-evidenced contribution to protecting and/or restoring an irreplaceable habitat, such as ancient woodland, ancient and veteran trees, peatland habitats, and coastal sand dunes. These are places that take significant time to restore, recreate or replace, often because of their age, diversity or uniqueness.

Phil believed passionately in safeguarding these special landscapes while ensuring development could deliver positive outcomes for nature. Supporting this award is one way of continuing that legacy.

If you’re involved in a project helping to conserve these habitats, make sure to submit your nomination today.

Find out more here:

The 2026 CIEEM Awards are open for nominations - nominate a well-deserving project, individual or organisation for recognition.

19/02/2026

At the start of February, we were delighted to welcome Jack Owen and Josh Kinal to EPR as Assistant Ecologists!

Jack and Josh originally joined us in August last year as seasonal staff, providing valuable support to the team. Jack joined while completing his MSc at the University of Reading, gaining real-world experience to support his studies, and will now be based at our headquarters in Wi******er. Josh has returned to EPR as an Assistant Ecologist and will be based in our Eastern Region office in Kent.

We’re very pleased to have both on board as permanent members of the team and look forward to supporting them as they continue to develop their careers with EPR.

11/02/2026

We’re pleased to have been part of the team supporting a successful planning appeal in Haslemere, Surrey. Permission has been granted for 112 new homes, an extensive Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and a range of community benefits – including a scout facility, forest building and new public open spaces.

EPR has acted as ecological consultant on the project for five years, supporting proposals for woodland restoration, wetland creation and a range of other ecological enhancements, which will deliver meaningful Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) across the site, in addition to making much-needed SANG capacity available for other local development.

EPR's Chris Jack gave evidence to the public inquiry on the ecological effects of the development. In granting the appeal, the Inspector recognised the value of the proposed BNG and SANG provision, and its contribution to the 'exceptional circumstances' required to justify development within the Surrey Hills National Landscape.

A previous phase of development at Scotland Park, which will provide 50 new homes, was also allowed on appeal with expert EPR support, following a public inquiry held in 2022.

For more information, visit: https://scotlandpark.co.uk/phase-two-proposals/

05/02/2026

🔦Project spotlight - Loddon Valley Garden Village🔦

Loddon Valley Garden Village is moving forward in Wokingham’s Local Plan, and EPR is proud to have been involved in the project from the start!

Since 2022, our team, led by Katie Cammack and Jodie Southgate, has undertaken a wide range of ecological survey and assessment work including everything from botany and veteran trees to bats, dormice and freshwater fish, helping to ensure key ecological features retained are protected.

Katie has been working closely with the wider project team from the beginning, focusing on retaining key ecological features and putting effective mitigation strategies in place. Working alongside the landscaping team at Savills and the University of Reading, she has also helped shape the vision for EcoValley. The aim is to restore agricultural land back into diverse semi-natural habitats that support protected and notable species, while creating spaces for local residents to enjoy and connect with nature. The survey work carried out across the site will also support long-term monitoring, helping track changes in the landscape and species over time.

Alongside this, Jodie has played a central role in developing the biodiversity net gain strategy. Her work on habitat condition assessments and restoration planning across woodlands, wetlands, grasslands, hedgerows and watercourses has helped demonstrate net gains of more than 20% across the site.

It’s great to see the project continuing to progress and the positive impact it will have for both the local community and wildlife.

Below are some photos from a bat survey we carried out last season at the site!

29/01/2026

Exciting news! Barney Scott, Principal Ecological Consultant at EPR, features in Cornwall Climate Care's latest documentary, Beyond Bricks, which explores how new homes can be delivered without worsening the climate and ecological crises.

Barney will be attending tonight’s screening, and you can check out the trailer below for a glimpse of the film.

Presented by Cornish builder Andy Carr, the documentary showcases approaches from across the UK – from high-tech housing solutions to climate-friendly materials, rethinking waste, and designing homes that leave space for nature.

Barney’s appearance highlights EPR’s involvement in the Nansledan project, a major Cornwall development of around 4,000 homes, infrastructure, and community facilities, showing how nature and community can work hand in hand.

EPR was appointed in 2017 to provide ecological support across the project, focusing on integrating Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) across the site, including:

🔹 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐤 – a 30+ ha country park protecting Penhale Dunes SAC and providing a “bank” of Biodiversity Units for future development phases
🔹 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – ancient fen, rush pasture, Cornish hedgerows, lowland meadow, and mixed woodland, plus rare plants like Whorled Caraway and locally rare roses
🔹 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 – providing homes for barn owls, kestrels, bats, and overwintering invertebrates.
🔹 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 – working with Cornwall Council to deliver a measurable surplus of Biodiversity Units

https://plymouthartscinema.org/whats-on/beyond-bricks/

Beyond Bricks investigates the balancing act needed to create hundreds of thousands of new homes in the UK without worsening the climate and ecological crises. The latest documentary produced by Cornwall Climate Care.

20/01/2026

We hope everyone has had a great start to 2026!

While the winter landscape may look pretty quiet right now with many species hibernating, there are still a few key survey windows to keep in mind.

Here is what’s on our radar at the moment:

🔹Overwintering Birds: We’re currently in the best window (Jan-Feb) for surveys in coastal or farmland habitats. These are really important to get sorted for projects near sensitive bird populations before the transition into Spring.

🔹Hibernating Bats: We only have until the end of February for the core hibernation survey season. If potential for bats has been flagged on your site, getting those checks and static detectors booked in now is the best way to make sure all the data is captured by March.

If you’re keen to avoid missing key ecological survey windows, sign up for our free reminder service, EPR START. You’ll get a handful of targeted emails throughout the year advising you exactly when key windows are about to open and close.

Sign up here:

Ecological Planning & Research Ltd Email Forms

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.