New invertebrate survey guidelines from Natural England
Invertebrates have often been ignored at the baseline survey stage for EIA, but the advent of a new ‘best practice’ publication from Natural England entitled ‘Surveying Terrestrial and Freshwater Invertebrates for Conservation Evaluation’ (Natural England Research Information Note RIN005) and recent policy changes may alter this. PPS 9 highlights the need for local planning authorities to take Biodiversity Action Plan species, including invertebrates, into account when making planning decisions and invertebrate surveys may now be requested at the pre-planning stage, especially on ‘brownfield’ sites which can harbour significant invertebrate interest. The number and variety of species means there is no single survey method and advice from an expert is crucial. Our in-house entomological expertise enables us to undertake both terrestrial and aquatic studies in line with the new guidance.
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