No Content Set
Exception:
Website.Models.ViewModels.Components.General.Banners.BannerComponentVm

Services

Technical services and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, water, resources, defence and government sectors.

Advisory and management consulting

RPS advisory and management consulting services for businesses and projects, including economics, due diligence, transaction advisory, ESG and more.

Communications, creative and digital

Communications, creative and digital solutions for governments and businesses including community engagement, design, research, data and software development.

Laboratories

Scientific analysis services for AgroScience, food safety, workplace exposure, environmental analysis and contaminants of concern in Europe and the UK.

Planning and approvals

Development strategy, planning and approval solutions for buildings, infrastructure, transport and city projects and investments.

Project and program management

Project management solutions for the most complex building, infrastructure, organisational change, and systems projects.

Training

Specialist training services, programs and accreditation for health, safety and risk, project management, and energy sector capability development.

Sectors

World-leading technical and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, resources, water, defence and government sectors.

Property

Design, technical and advisory services for the property sector, including residential, commercial, retail, industrial, health, education and data centre projects.

Energy

Energy exploration, development and optimisation solutions for renewables, power and gas networks, energy storage, oil and gas and nuclear facilties.

Transport

Smart, safe and sustainable transport infrastructure development services and advice for rail, aviation, port and road clients and projects.

Defence and government services

Expertise for defence capability and infrastructure investments, security and safety projects, and information and telecommunications initatives.

Water

Discover our industry-leading strategy, design and management solutions for wastewater, groundwater, flooding, drainage and network infrastructure.

Resources

Commercial data, design advice and technical management solutions for safe and environmentally responsible resource exploration and operations.

About us

Responsibility

Services

Technical services and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, water, resources, defence and government sectors.

explore Services
Advisory and management consulting by RPS

RPS advisory and management consulting services for businesses and projects, including economics, due diligence, transaction advisory, ESG and more.

Due diligence

Economics

Strategy and transformation

Commercial advisory

Transaction advisory

Project investment and finance

ESG consulting

Deal advisory

Explore Advisory and management consulting
Communications, creative and digital

Communications, creative and digital solutions for governments and businesses including community engagement, design, research, data and software development.

Communications and engagement

Creative, visualisation and immersive design

Social advisory and research

Data management, analytics and insights

Spatial intelligence and GIS

Software development

Explore Communications, creative and digital
Design and development

Technical and consulting services for buildings, infrastructure and cities including architecture, engineering, surveying, landscape architecture and urban design.

Architecture

Lifts and escalators

Building services engineering

Civil engineering

Fire engineering

Geotechnical engineering

Landscape architecture

Structural engineering

Surveying

Utility options and design

Urban design

Explore Design and development
Laboratories

Scientific analysis services for AgroScience, food safety, workplace exposure, environmental analysis and contaminants of concern in Europe and the UK.

AgroScience analysis

Food safety analysis

PFAS Analysis

Environmental analysis

Analysis of unknowns

Workplace exposure analysis

Explore Laboratories
Planning and approvals

Development strategy, planning and approval solutions for buildings, infrastructure, transport and city projects and investments.

Planning consultancy

Transport planning

Explore Planning and approvals
Project and program management

Project management solutions for the most complex building, infrastructure, organisational change, and systems projects.

Program management

Project management

Cost management / quantity surveying

Building consultancy

Explore Project and program management
Training

Specialist training services, programs and accreditation for health, safety and risk, project management, and energy sector capability development.

Health, safety and risk

Training: project management

Capability development and training for the energy sector

Explore Training

Sectors

World-leading technical and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, resources, water, defence and government sectors.

explore Sectors
Property

Design, technical and advisory services for the property sector, including residential, commercial, retail, industrial, health, education and data centre projects.

Residential

Commercial and retail

Leisure and tourism

Industrial

Health and healthcare

Education

Data centres

Explore Property
Energy

Energy exploration, development and optimisation solutions for renewables, power and gas networks, energy storage, oil and gas and nuclear facilties.

Oil and gas

Renewables

Nuclear facilities

Power and gas networks

Storage

Explore Energy
Transport

Smart, safe and sustainable transport infrastructure development services and advice for rail, aviation, port and road clients and projects.

Rail

Aviation

Ports

Roads

Explore Transport
Defence and government services

Expertise for defence capability and infrastructure investments, security and safety projects, and information and telecommunications initatives.

Defence

Security and safety

Information and telecommunications

Explore Defence and government services
Water

Discover our industry-leading strategy, design and management solutions for wastewater, groundwater, flooding, drainage and network infrastructure.

Water management

Wastewater

Flooding and drainage

Groundwater

UK and Ireland regulated water asset management

Explore Water
Resources

Commercial data, design advice and technical management solutions for safe and environmentally responsible resource exploration and operations.

Mining

Waste

Explore Resources

Projects

We define, design and manage projects that create shared value to a complex, urbanising and resource-scarce world.

explore Projects

Brilliant minds finding solutions to complex problems, made easy to understand. Making complex easy.

Brilliant minds finding solutions to complex problems, made easy to understand. Making complex easy.

explore Insights

A new approach to great crested newt licensing delivers benefits all round

We explore the benefits of District Licensing, Natural England’s new approach to authorising developments affecting great crested newts, a species suffering dramatic declines in their populations.

04 March 2020 | 3 min read
Mike E Barker

UK

ON THIS PAGE
Contact us

Great crested newts (GCN) are a European Protected Species (EPS) which breed in waterbodies but spend most of their lives on land. They can be found in grassland, hedgerow, scrub and woodland which can be a costly issue for development sites within 500 metres of a pond potentially supporting newt populations. Surveys will need to be undertaken to support planning applications which can create lengthily delays as GCN have a very short survey window in Spring.

The traditional method

Developers looking to build on a site that is impacted by GCN currently face a lengthily process of surveys and waiting. These delays have significant cost implications that can make a project financially unviable.

Flowchart showing GCN traditional process
The traditional method developers face when seeking a license for Great Crested Newts

A new approach, District Licensing – how does it work?

District licensing is based on a joined-up approach, instead of the current site by site approach. Trialled since 2018 in Kent, Cheshire and parts of the Midlands, it sees habitats and ponds created in prime locations for GCN. As these are already in existence, ahead of potential development, the need for individual mitigation and compensation works on a project by project basis is removed. Developers are required to make a financial contribution based on the scale of impact created by their proposals.

Table showing pros and cons of District Licensing for Great Crested Newts

District licensing in action 

Anglian Water tasked our ecologists to complete an Ecological Appraisal of land along the Bletcham Way carriageway in Milton Keynes.

Initial surveys indicated that a GCN licence would be required, but the time of year would have led to a significant time delay under the traditional licencing method. Fortunately, the site was ideally located within one of the district license pilot zones so we were able to apply for a GCN District License.

Although the pipeline runs through unsuitable GCN habitat including hardstanding and shortly mown amenity grassland, three confirmed GCN breeding ponds were located within 30m from the pipeline, with the closest being just 6m from the working area. Due to the location and nature of the works (short term and temporary) and timing constraints, traditional licencing methods were not feasible for the project.

On our recommendation, Anglian Water agreed to utilise the new District Licencing Scheme. This was the first pipeline work to be carried out under the District Licence through NatureSpace, so we made sure to continuously engage with our client and NatureSpace to ensure that both parties were satisfied with the outcome and that the best option for GCN had been selected.

The pipeline was consented and given permitted development rights in November 2019. Our team continues to work with the client and utilise the District Licence by providing the ECoW monitoring and production of documents necessary for all compliance visits to ensure that the work stays within the law and the best interests of the client and the great crested newts.

Ecology surveys

With spring fast approaching the main ecological survey window is almost upon us. Without forward planning and professional advice ecological constraints can cause unnecessary refusals or delays to development. By carrying out the relevant surveys and appraisals early in the planning process, any issues can be identified giving you the best chance of avoiding risks of delays and additional costs.

Surveys that should be planned for the spring season include breeding birds, bats and of course Great Crested Newts. 

Guide to optimal and suboptimal ecology survey periods