Smooth newts
The last day of February 2012 marks both a Leap Year and the official end of winter. The days are getting longer and the temperature is rising.
If you are thinking about submitting a planning application for development this year, now is the time to be scheduling surveys to inform your application!
Ecological surveys are subject to seasonal constraints – some species can only be identified when they are active (fauna) and above ground (flora). Understanding when survey evidence can be gathered to inform a planning application is therefore critical to cost effective project programming.
The survey season is soon to start for breeding birds and great crested newts. March/April is also good time for undertaking badger surveys and it’s a good idea to start planning for reptile surveys (survey materials can be set out in March in readiness for starting surveying in April). Tree inspections for bat roost potential are also best undertaken before trees come into leaf. The periods when data can be collected are often short and, before you know it, the opportunity to survey may have passed, in some cases, for another year.
Although it is sometimes possible to undertake surveys outside the optimum periods, the quality of data collected is less reliable so its value to inform a planning application may be compromised.
