BREEAM Land Use & Ecology: SQE Expert Assessment
Delivering specialist Suitably Qualified Ecologist assessments to identify habitat enhancements and ensure robust environmental legislative compliance for sustainable development projects.
E3 Ecology.
Expert assessments for environmental legal standards.
If you are looking to gain ecology related credits for a BREEAM assessment (Land Use and Ecology – LE01–05), an initial assessment of the site’s ecological value will be required before development work begins.
This can typically be conducted at the same time as the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) or Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) if we are aware that the development will be assessed under BREEAM guidelines.
What does a BREEAM Land Use & Ecology Assessment involve?
A site walkover will be conducted by a Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) to assess the ecological value of the habitats present prior to development, along with the potential for protected and/or notable species to be present.
Using this information, we complete the required BREEAM Ecology Report and calculator, which determines the site’s ecological value before and after development in line with BREEAM criteria. In more recent revisions of BREEAM’s guidelines, the DEFRA Statutory Metric may be used for this purpose, which may already be required for the development. Recommendations are then made to protect important features on-site and to incorporate mitigation and biodiversity enhancements to maximise available credits.
To accurately assess post-development value, we will ideally require detailed landscaping plans for the site, although initial estimates can be made based on indicative areas of soft landscaping where plans are not yet finalised.
When can surveys be carried out?
The optimal season for habitat surveys to support a BREEAM assessment is in spring to autumn; however, surveys can be conducted at any time of year.
How Can E3 Ecology Help?
The E3 team includes members with expertise in assisting with the Comprehensive BREEAM assessment route (Route 2). We have worked on numerous such assessments, covering a variety of project types, including schools, hospitals, industrial and commercial developments.
If you think you require or have been asked for a BREEAM LE Assessment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will be happy to help.