Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) assesses the potential effects of a development on habitats and species, particularly those protected by national and international legislation or considered to be of particular nature conservation importance. EcIA is an integral part of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).  Guidelines produced by the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) provide a procedure for the ecological component of Environmental Impact Assessment. They also set standards for the assessment of the ecological impact of projects and plans, so as to improve the consideration of the needs of biodiversity and thereby reduce the impacts of any development.

Westcountry Rivers Trust can provide advice and support throughout the EIA process, through our consultancy arm Tamar Ecology, including the ecological elements of screening, scoping, baseline survey data collection, presentation and assessment.  Tamar Ecology can produce either a stand-alone EcIA report or the ecology chapter for a full EIA.  Our experienced ecologists will undertake all the necessary surveys and liaise closely with the design team throughout the process to ensure that impacts can be avoided in the first instance through careful masterplan design, and any required mitigation measures are incorporated into the scheme layout at an early stage.  Alongside liaison with statutory consultees, this ensures a thorough and comprehensive ecological impact assessment, utilising innovative and practical measures to enhance biodiversity gain.

Tamar Ecology offer the following EcIA services:

• Screening and scoping for projects
• Full range of ecological surveys to inform EcIA works
• Determination of baseline ecological conditions and evaluation of nature conservation importance of site
• Assessment of potential effects and designing measures to avoid, compensate or mitigate for impacts
• Liaison with nature conservation consultees and attending public exhibitions
• Working with the wider multi-disciplinary EIA team to ensure collaborative mitigation solutions
• Assessment of any cumulative impacts with other proposed projects
• Determination of residual effects
• Where necessary Tamar Ecology will also carry out Habitats Regulations Assessment work to inform Appropriate Assessments.