Desk Studies

desk research into the dormouse - a UK protected species — Desk research often precedes field surveys in order to determine the range of protected species that might be present and to assist in preparing mitigation submissions

Sometimes it is not necessary to do a full site survey or to visit the actual site in the first instance. A desk study can cover off things like mapping or reviewing the terrain and historic use of the site, interrogating local ecological records, reviewing previous studies, investigating permissions or protection statuses that have been applied to the site or the surrounding area or reviewing relevant literature or data that has been gathered.

These desk studies can be sufficient on their own but can also precede a preliminary ecological appraisal survey so that there is a better idea of what our ecologists might encounter on your site. This desk-based work is more cost effective and can often help save time in the field, ensuring work is done on time and within budget.

The other advantage of a desk study is it requires no access to the site, so it can be done in the very early concept stages of a project such as when considering a land purchase for development. A desk survey can reveal whether there are particular designations of protection on a piece of land, which are likely to cause a project to experience delays later on, as well as looking at surrounding wildlife populations to identify if there is a high likelihood that you could be dealing with protected species.

Whilst these surveys are by no means watertight (you can’t be sure what is on a site until it is visited), they can help with the initial planning process by giving clients a guide on what further work might be necessary and the timescales and costs for project planning purposes. This work can be invaluable as it can flag up major issues or concerns early in the project, particularly if a site is unlikely to be granted permission for the use you have in mind.

If you think that a desk-based study would offer some clarity on a project you are considering, why not book a short call to discuss it? We offer a half hour call with one of our ecologists for free, and as a rough guide you would expect a desk survey to start from £375+VAT including a write up of our findings.

You can use the form below to request a free half hour call, or check out our free habitats tool to see where your site fits in.