North West Electricity Alliance – Great Crested Newt Surveys
Nation Grid has a commitment to ensure a continuous and reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses across the UK. In order to meet this commitment work was scheduled on an overhead line in Cumbria. In order to comply with the UK’s wildlife laws and legislation it was necessary for ecological surveys to be undertaken to establish the potential impacts which may occur as a result of works on the overhead line. As there were areas deemed to be potentially suitable for great crested newts further surveys were required to establish if they were present.
Alliance
Before works could commence CPA staff were required to undertake a Basic Electrical Safety Compliance (BESC) course to enrol on the Energy and Utility Skills Register (EUSR).
The critical survey season for great crested newts is short as a minimum of two surveys must be carried out between mid-April and mid-May. CPA was commissioned to undertake the work within this critical period but was able to attend the relevant courses and make a commitment to the client that works would be completed within the tight deadline. CPA succeeded in meeting this deadline.
CPA was also able to assist the client in making contact with land owners where they had previously been unknown. This allowed access to be granted to a number of areas where surveys would otherwise not have been possible within the current survey season. Without CPA’s assistance surveys would have had to be delayed until the following year, thus delaying the proposed works on the overhead line.
London Ashford Airport – Advice
London Ashford Airport (LAA), Lydd is located in Dungeness, Kent. LAA plans to increase the airport’s capacity by extending the runway and building a new passenger terminal. LAA is located within an area which has several national and international ecological designations and is important for wildlife as well as geological interest. In order to be able to satisfy planning regulations an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was required which would assess the potential impacts associated with an expansion which was submitted to the Local Authority.
The Local Authority granted planning permission in 2010 but the project became subject to a Public Inquiry. The result of the inquiry is expected in 2012.
CPA worked in collaboration with a number of specialists who compiled the proofs of evidence for the inquiry. CPA contributed to a literature review and detailed assessment relating to the impacts of aviation on bird populations across the UK.
Solar Park Development – Environmental Assessment Services
CPA was commissioned to undertake a range of environmental assessments of 15 potential Solar Park sites across the south west of England and South Wales.
CPA contributed to the environmental reports which were produced, ensuring that all potential environmental impacts were taken into account and accurately assessed.
• Landscape and visual, including glint and glare
• Ecology and ornithology
• Traffic and infrastructure
As CPA was able to offer a comprehensive range of surveys and reporting services this minimised the project management time taken by the client. Our understanding of all of the potential environmental impacts associated with the projects enabled us to successfully liaise with planning officers to minimise the number of conditions placed upon each planning permission, as well as to quickly and successfully discharge those which remained.
